The Tea Prince
by jinxdoll
Summary: Yuuki and her son move back to Tokyo after her husband's sudden and untimely death. What kind of secrets will be exposed? Who is the tea prince?
1. Part One: Earl Gray

The Tea Prince

Part One: Earl Gray

The move back to Tokyo had a been a difficult one for Yuuki. It had been almost eight years since she had gone away, but now here she was again. It was a large city, but it was still strange that she was back in the city that she had fled in a panic before. Surely, Tokyo was big enough for her to avoid anyone who knew her eight years ago. She was sitting with the windows rolled up. A small boy, her son, was sleeping next to her.

He had a hard time after his father had died. It was more than a week ago since the car accident happened in Kyoto. Kinomoto Akihito was a good man. He had adored his son and worshiped his wife. Yuuki still had no idea how she was going to make sense of it all. How was she supposed to explain it to her son?

The black car pulled to a stop at the shrine. Yuuki still had the urn on her lap, clasping it with both hands. Her son stirred and mumbled, "Mama?"

"We're here, Shun-kun," said Yuuki. She looked into his dark eyes, thinking about how soulful they were.

Shun rubbed his eyes. He looked out the window and said, "It's full of dead people."

"Yes, but they are people's loved ones. We can still visit your father whenever we want," explained Yuuki as the door opened. "We have to go now." He climbed out of the car first and she followed, carefully so as to not drop the urn.

A priest met them along the way as other cars began to gather. Shun clung close to Yuuki, holding onto the edge of her blazer. He wanted to hold her hand, but she was unwilling to drop one from the urn. If she could cling to it, she would do it forever. A breeze came as they proceeded forward.

The whole funeral was a blur that it was over before Yuuki knew it. Her parents along with Aki's parents came, but neither she nor Shun really said anything. As soon as the urn was taken by Yuuki's mother, he took her hand and refused to let it go. When the last guest was gone, and it was just the two of them, he still hung on to her. Yuuki thought to herself that he was never going to let her out of his sight again.

When Shun fell asleep next to her on the sofa, she lifted him up to his bed. She tucked him in bed. She watched him sleep as she had done many times again. Aki said that he was a good boy and that he was going to be a fine man. She was certain of that too, before Aki died. Shun was a handsome boy. There was no denying that he would be a very handsome man. How she wished that there was a trace of Aki in him somehow.

Yuuki left Shun after kissing him good night. She went and looked out the window at the skyline. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it this time. It seemed as if she and Shun were meant to be on their own. The rest of the night had been a long one. She wondered how she could be a widow with a small son at the age of twenty-five.

The next morning, Shun was up early and found his mother had already made breakfast. He watched from around the corner as she made a cup of tea for herself. "Mama," he greeted almost shyly from around the corner.

"What do you want to do today?" asked his mother as he walked up tot the table and climbed into booster seat.

"I want to go and visit Papa," answered Shun.

"So would I," agreed Yuuki quickly.

With that they were quickly ready to go out and visit Aki's grave. The car had been totaled in the wreck, so Yuuki and Shun took the train to the shrine to visit Aki. She wondered how many more days would it take before she felt whole again, but she had something to hold onto. Shun was always a quiet child, very much like her.

On the way off the train, she walked by the newspaper stand and saw the headlines. The business news always had something on one of the F4. Namely, it was Doumyouji Tsukasa and his wife, Tsukushi. They were the proud parents of a brand new baby boy. It was big news in Japan and the rest of the world and the little baby was already declared the crown prince of the Doumyouji Corporation. It had been very difficult for Yuuki to have no contact with her best friend for years. She simply walked by the newspaper stand.

They went to Aki's grave, laying the fresh cut flowers they had bought. Shun was steady on his feet, and all Yuuki could think about was how he was the only one who was keeping her on her feet. At that point she made a silent promise to her husband. She wasn't going to force her sorrow and grief on Shun. She put her arms around him from behind. "We have to go now, Shun. We have to enroll you in school."

"Yes, Mama," nodded Shun as they walked away.

* * *

Doumyouji Tsukushi was walking up and down the nursery with a bundle bawling against her shoulder. He hadn't stopped once. "Shh," she whispered as she tried to hum again. It was to no avail. He was not going to stop and continued. Then, her husband walked in. He wasn't wearing his coat and tie yet, preferring to put those on when he was on his way to work. "He is definitely your son," said Tsukushi ruefully.

"Give him to me,"ordered Tsukasa as he took the boy.

"Watch your shirt," warned Tsukushi. "You're supposed to be in a meeting."

"It's okay," said Tsukasa. It was a miracle because the moment the baby settled into Tsukasa's arms, he had stopped fussing and crying.

Tsukushi just took off the towel from her shoulder. "That is just not fair," she declared as she sank into the rocking chair. "I have been trying for hours and you get him for an instant and he stops."

Tsukasa laughed. "Of course, he'll stop for me. He knows I'm the boss." Tsukushi rolled her eyes at him. She smiled at him, feeling more love for him than she thought possible as he held their son. He went on, "You should let the nanny handle this. I don't know why you aren't letting her. We didn't hire her just to sit around and do nothing."

"I am so tired right now that I choose to not argue. You and him have conspired against me," said Tsukushi. "You win. I'm going to get some sleep."

"Finally, I have an ally," chuckled Tsukasa as he looked at his son. He then frowned, "How dare you fall asleep while I'm talking to you?"

"Just put him down," pleaded Tsukushi. "You need to be at the meeting and the baby and I need to sleep."

Tsukasa put the baby down after patting his back a bit more. He kissed the boy on his head. What little hair the baby had grown was already looking like it was going to curl. He and Tsukushi walked out of the nursery after shutting the door behind them.

They walked back to their room, which wasn't too far. Tsukushi had requested that part of the house just be reserved for the family, which Tsukasa agreed to. He had wanted to keep his wife all to himself and now with the baby, it was nice to go somewhere and shut out the world for a bit. The demands of the world stopped there and he was happy with his family.

Tsukushi settled into their bed. Tsukasa was sitting along the edge of the bed. He kissed her on the lips as she closed her eyes. The baby monitor was on her night stand and the baby was also fast asleep. "Have a good day at work," she whispered as he pulled away from her.

"I will. Get some rest and I hope that the baby is good. I'll tell the nanny to look after him so you can sleep for a while," said Tsukasa.

When Tsukasa left, Tsukushi had a strange dream. She had a dream of her best friend, Yuuki. Of course, it was hard to call her that. It had been so long since she had seen or heard from her. She awoke to the sound of the baby crying. She didn't have time to think about it.

She immediately got out of bed and found the nanny already there with the baby. She was an elderly lady from England. Almost grandmotherly.

"Hullo Doumyouji-dono," said the nanny. She was holding the baby who was crying again. "Don't worry too much about him. He'll outgrow it. Doumyouji-sama was asking about the same thing."

Tsukushi was grateful for the help and advice. She said, "I suppose I'll go back to sleep. I haven't slept very much since we came home."

"I'll be right here, Doumyouji-sama," promised the nanny.

Tsukushi returned to her room, but she couldn't go back to sleep. She had Yuuki on her mind. She thought back to the last time she had seen her. It was almost eight years ago. It was a day that she could never forget. Tsukushi remembered how anxious Yuuki was. She said that she was going to Kyoto to help out a family member who had fallen ill, and Tsukushi didn't think much of it. At first, she tried to contact her, but Yuuki was never available to speak with her. Over time like so many friends, they lost track of each other.

It was then that Tsukushi picked up her phone. She called her assistant, "Hello Tanaka-san."

Her assistant sounded faintly surprised, "Hello Doumyouji-dono. I wasn't expecting you to call. How is the baby?"

"Demanding like his father," replied Tsukushi. "I need you to look into something for me. I have a friend from junior high and elementary school. I need you find her for me. Her name is Matsuoka Yuuki."

"Is there any other information you need from me?" asked Tsukushi's very capable assistant.

Tsukushi gave her the information that she had. She had a feeling that she was doing something more than just looking for someone. After having a baby, Tsukushi wanted to put things in perspective for herself. She wondered what she was doing now and if she was as happy as she was. Little did she know that this as a decision that was going to change lives.

* * *

Yuuki worked out of her house most of the time. She was looking through her husband's things. They were expensive cameras that he had used for his work. He was a photographer and they had met by chance. She remembered studying design in Kyoto, hoping to be a designer, and he was photographing the models that the student designers were using to model their designs.

It was fate. Aki was easygoing and gentle. He was a good father to Shun and even though his parents didn't want him to marry Yuuki, he did so anyway. She was going to turn him down, thinking that she didn't deserve him. Aki didn't care. They were married less than a year after they had met. That was almost six years ago.

She didn't want to go through his things. She wanted to keep everything the same way it was as always. She didn't want to believe that he was gone. She smiled at the pictures that Aki took of her and Shun. She wished that she had more pictures of Aki, but he always said that was the way that photographers were. They were behind the lens, not in front of them. She had a picture for Aki's shrine set up.

Shun was playing in the other room. He was a very meticulous boy when it came to play. It was probably from watching his father work. He carefully laid out the puzzle pieces. It was one of those 3-D puzzles that he put together. This was one of the Empire State Building in New York City. He was always playing alone.

Yuuki and Aki had hoped that they would have given Shun a younger sibling, but that never happened. Shun's birth had been very difficult on Yuuki for more than one reason. It was probably the only regret that Yuuki had regarding her marriage other than her husband dying. She thought about it as she watched Shun playing.

It was difficult not to think about who Shun looked like all the time. Especially when he was bent over looking at the puzzle pieces, trying to figure out how the pieces would fit. He was really concentrating that he was able to lock out the world around him. That kind of mental disciple was almost unheard of for a child of his age. Yes, Yuuki couldn't ignore that.

It was in that moment that she felt something break in her facade. She quickly dashed to the bathroom, shutting the door. She ran the water before sinking to the floor in tears. She failed to see Shun standing up, staring after her. He had heard the water in the bathroom running frequently. He knew what she was doing. He waited until she was ready to come out.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry for such a short beginning chapter. I was partly inspired by a Korean soap on how I wanted to do the action for the story. The story might end up linked to my previous story. I am sorry if Tsukasa appears to be out of character. I promise that the story won't be as sad as this first chapter. It takes place about eight years after end of the story. I had the perfect title in mind. Who is the Tea Prince?

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango, but the story and its original characters are mine. Please use it with my permission.


	2. Part Two: Ceylon

The Tea Prince

Part Two: Ceylon

Nishikado Soujiro was feeling like an old man at the age of twenty-six. He had so many obligations to do these days. He never thought that he would be too tired go out, but that was when he was eighteen. Now he was glad to shed his kimono to go somewhere he could relax for a while. After changing to more Western clothes, he got into his car and drove the short distance to the Doumyouji Mansion to pay a visit with his friends.

As Soujiro was walking up to the main house, he saw Tsukasa outside with the baby. It was almost unnatural for Soujiro see Tsukasa with a baby. He just couldn't believe that Tsukasa was a father. "Oi," greeted Soujiro almost in a whisper.

Tsukasa grinned a bit. "You finally made it," he said quietly. "It was getting a bit too much for him. Tsukushi was going to take him out, but he wouldn't quiet down for her."

"He looks just like you," observed Soujiro as the baby opened one eye at him. "Look he's even glaring at him."

Tsukasa turned to look at the baby. He chuckled at this. "He's got a while to go before he perfects it, but at less than a month old he's making good progress."

Soujiro could see how Tsukasa had even softened up even more through Tsukushi's pregnancy. There was no mistaking the paternal pride in his voice. "Just wait until he's old enough to cause real trouble."

"What do you know about children?" scoffed Tsukasa.

Soujiro laughed. The French doors opened and Tsukushi, Rui, and Akira appeared. "Nishikado-san, I am so glad to see you. I haven't seen you seen since the hospital when you gave me flowers."

He couldn't help but smile at her. Tsukushi had a glow about her that made her almost irresistible. The baby started to stir. Immediately, Tsukushi took him from Tsukasa. The baby looked at her. His eyes he got from her. "You look terrific," said Soujiro.

"Thank you, Nishikado-san," said Tsukushi.

"Don't flirt with my wife," warned Tsukasa in a menacing tone.

"What's so wrong about him complimenting me?" asked Tsukushi. The baby made some noises. "See, he agrees with me?"

"How do you know he wasn't agreeing with me?" retorted Tsukasa.

Akira chimed in, "See what you started Soujiro?"

"It wouldn't be normal if they weren't arguing," said Rui as he touched the baby's cheek. The baby grabbed onto the his finger. "Look at Hiroyuki. He doesn't seem bothered by it. In fact, I've already seen him sleep through some of it." The baby was about to put Rui's finger in his mouth, but Rui pulled back.

"He's probably got accustomed to it from the womb," pointed out Soujiro.

"What are the six of you doing out here? I knew you'd all flake out," demanded a voice from the doorway. Tsubaki, Tsukasa's older sister looked annoyed with them. "Bring the guest of honor back inside."

"Sorry, Oneesan," said Tsukushi as she went through the door. "If I have to go back, so do the rest of you," she added when the F4 remained outside. Akira shrugged and followed as well as Rui. Soujiro went after Rui.

Tsubaki exclaimed, "Get in here, Tsukasa, before I kick your ass."

"Oneesan, I was going inside. I was actually being polite and letting in everyone else first. I am not a child," said Tsukasa irritably.

"It doesn't matter to me if you're a father now, you're still my younger brother," declared Tsubaki. "The same goes to the three of you."

"All the more reason to avoid having kids," said Soujiro.

Tsukushi said, "Watch what you say, Nishikado-san, because on day you'll change your mind."

One of the maids walked up to Tsukushi. "There is a message for you from Tanaka-san," she said.

Tsukasa frowned a bit. "Why is she calling? You're on leave. You're not working behind my back, are you?" he demanded.

"It's not about work," replied Tsukushi as she passed the baby to him. "And having a baby is work. This is important. I have to call her back."

Unconvinced, Tsukasa would have said more, but Rui said, "She's not lying."

"How do you know?"

"I always know when Tsukushi is lying."

Tsukasa glared at him. "There is something wrong about knowing when another mans wife is lying."

Of course, Tsukushi heard none of this conversation as she got to one of the studies to use the phone. She called Tanaka who picked up after the third ring. "I am sorry to be calling so late, Doumyouji-dono," she apologized, "but you said it was important."

"It's all right. What do you have for me?"

"I have located Matsuoka Yuuki as you requested. It took a bit longer than expected because she got married in Kyoto. Her married name is Kinomoto. She lives in Tokyo, having moved recently from Kyoto. She's a fashion designer. Her husband is a photographer."

Tsukushi's eyes brightened up. She could hardly contain her excitement. "Do you have a number for her?"

"I can't seem to find it. It will take a bit more time. I have her website."

"Hang on, let me get paper and something to write with," said Tsukushi. She put the phone down briefly while she searched for some paper and a pen in the desk. She came back on the line. "Okay, give me the address." Tsukushi jotted it down. "Thank you, Tanaka-san. That will be it for now. Have a good night." She replaced the receiver on she smiled. She was going to have to look up the website later on and explain things to Tsukasa. She returned to the party, feeling a bit better than before.

* * *

Yuuki woke up early to prepare Shun for his first day at his new school. She took a shower and pinned her hair up after drying it. She normally barely wore any make up, but she had to do something about his eyes. She hadn't slept well since Aki was gone. She put on dark colored her clothes.

Shun was awake early, too. He had already gotten himself ready for school. The last thing he did before leaving his room was look at his father's picture. When he came to the kitchen, his mother already had breakfast ready and was putting the finishing touches on his bento box. "Good morning, Mama," said Shun as he pulled out his chair.

Yuuki had prepared herself a cup of tea. "Good morning, Shun-kun. Are you excited to go to school today?"

Shun nodded as he ripped into a piece of toast. He swallowed before answering, "Do I have to go?"

"Yes," said Yuuki firmly. "I will drop you off and pick you up. Then, we'll get sushi tonight."

Shun didn't want to let his mother out of his sight. He remembered what his father would say just before left: "Take care of your mother. Be good."

Yuuki could see the conflict play out on Shun's face. "I have to go to work. I have to worry about things there. You should only worry about school and having as much fun as possible." She gave herself credit. She had managed to say it without her voice shaking.

"Can I get a salmon roll?" asked Shun. It was normally something he shared with his father.

"Sure," nodded Yuuki. They finished up breakfast, brushed their teeth, gathered their things, and headed out the door.

Shun had been enrolled in an excellent public school nearby Yuuki's studio. It had been a studio for Yuuki and Aki. It was their dream. It was place where Yuuki could meet with clients and bring her creations to life. Aki had just finished setting up his dark room and she could still see him putting everything in its place with Shun following along, trying to help.

At the school gates, parents were dropping their children off. Yuuki was ready to walk Shun inside, but he said, "No, Mama. I can go in by myself."

"Are you sure? It's your first day at a new school," said Yuuki.

Shun nodded once. "I am not a baby," he said very seriously.

He looked so serious that Yuuki didn't know whether or to laugh or cry. "Very well," she agreed. A small ache throbbed in her chest. This was part of Shun growing up. "You be good and mind the teacher. Have fun."

Shun nodded and started to run off, but he stopped. Turning, he hurtled back to Yuuki, clamping his thin arms around her small waist. "Be safe, Mama," he said softly. He was practically burying his head against her. Yuuki patted his arms. He didn't say anything else. He took off running after stealing one last glance at her. Yuuki waved at him before he disappeared inside.

Sighing, Yuuki waited until the school gates closed before going to the studio. She was met by two assistants. They bowed in unison. Lee nodded and went off to take care of things on the photography side. Ishida started to brief her. "We got an email this morning," she announced as she returned with a cup of tea.

Yuuki accepted it. "We get lots of emails," she said.

Ishida took a sip from her own mug. "It was from Doumyouji Tsukushi." Yuuki almost spit out her tea. Instead, she nearly choked on it. "Are you okay, Kinomoto-san?"

"Fine," croaked Yuuki, setting the mug down on the desk. "Let me see it."

Ishida handed her the print out. It was Ishida's duty to take care of the email address on the website. There was a lot of junk, but it was normally the first point of contact for Yuuki's ever growing clientele.

"I couldn't believe it myself," said Ishida. "She's Tokyo's Cinderella. Born Poor and managed to marry into one of the richest families in the world."

"She's more like Liz Bennett," correct Yuuki. She read the email. Not many people know Yuuki's maiden name. Her career took off shortly after her marriage and she had used her husband's name the entire time. To her, Matsuoka Yuuki was a different person, a different lifetime.

There was also the matter of Tsukushi being married to Doumyouji Tsukasa who was friends with Nishikado Soujiro. It had taken yours not to think of him. At times it was almost impossible.

"She just had a baby and she wants an outfit to wear when she attends Tokyo's Annual Charity Ball," said Ishida. "Imagine all the rich and available men."

"Beni-chan, it's not all that great, "said Yuuki with a sigh.

"Doumyouji-san must be so happy. She's surrounded by these rich guys. They called them the F4 when they were in school. The great thing is that only one of them is married. The other three are still single."

Yuuki had fallen silent, but she said, "Just because someone is rich doesn't automatically make them good or honorable for that matter. Those are qualities that even the poorest people can have."

Ishida stopped talking. It was easy for someone who didn't know Yuuki to mistakenly assume that she was referring to Kinomoto Akihito's family. They had a family network of traditional inns, ryokkan. Ishida had only started working for Yuuki when the studio was established in Tokyo. She had heard a little bit of it from other people.

"That will be enough talk about the rich and their obscenely ostentatious parties," said Yuuki in a businesslike manner. "Let's get to work." She folded the email and put it on her desk.

They worked through the morning, which went by quickly. Yuuki wasn't as behind as she had feared. During her absence, Ishida had managed to cut patterns and even had started some of the dresses. Around lunchtime, Lee checked back with Yuuki. She knew how worried he was about his future. While Ishida returned calls to certain clients, Yuuki talked to Lee, who had been Aki's loyal assistant for two years, even going as far as moving to Tokyo for the job. He had transferred schools for it. "Lee-san, would it be too much to ask you to stay?" asked Yuuki.

"I'm not a designed, Kinomoto-san."

"There is a photography studio here. Aki would have wanted someone to use it. Besides, I need a photographer I can trust."

"Kinomoto-san, you are too kind."

"Then, you'll stay?"

"Yes."

Yuuki was relieved. It was good to put both their minds at ease. Lee was about her age. Aki was thirty when he had died. It was easy for her to forget that she was still rather young. Lee stood up from the stool next to her desk. "I must return to my work," he told her.

The phone rang and Yuuki picked it up without thinking. "Yuuki Aki Studios, how many I help you?"

"Yuuki, is that you?" asked a familiar voice on the line.

Yuuki froze. She managed to answer, "Speaking. How many I help you?" She had said this knowing full well who was on the other end.

* * *

AN: I love the side characters in this manga. I am trying to minimize creating original characters for this one. Of course, Shun is adorable. He will only get cuter as his mother gets more protective. Now I am not saying whether or not Soujiro is Shun's father for sure. Where would the fun be in revealing that for me? The story is just getting started. I have some soap style twist and turns coming up.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	3. Part Three: Peppermint

The Tea Prince

Part Three: Peppermint

"Yuuki, it's me, Tsukushi."

Tsukushi was elated to hear Yuuki's voice. Her assistant was able to locate Yuuki's studio number. She assumed that Yuuki hadn't seen the email. "It's been what? Eight years?"

"Yes, it has," responded Yuuki. "It's been too long. I got you email this morning. I have been too busy to reply."

"I'd like to get together whenever you're available. I'm on maternity leave right now."

"Thanks," said Tsukushi. "I wanted to invite you to my wedding, but your mother said you were out of touch. I feel so bad."

Yuuki reassured her, "It's not your fault. I guess life got a little ahead of me."

"So you're married, too, now?" asked Tsukushi.

Yuuki felt the air leave her body. It's been only three weeks. She was still having trouble believing it. Tears pricked her eyes and her throat felt thick. "I'm kind of busy right now," she said as she swiped her pinkie at the corner of her eye. "Do you mind if we meet for lunch soon? You can email or coordinate with my assistant. I'll see you later. Bye." She hung up the phone and quickly dashed to the bathroom.

Ishida saw what had happened. She had no idea what to do, so she continued working as she heard the water running.

* * *

Soujiro had back to back meetings in the morning. He settled in the back seat of the limo feeling like his head was going to explode. The last meeting had gone very badly. Soujiro was exhausted and tired of having to deal with people who simply did not appreciate that the tea ceremony was an art not to be rushed. The worst part was the pushy Americans who had attention spans shorter than gnats. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. To make matters worse, the limo was locked in mid-day traffic. Very irritated, he snapped at the driver, "Pull over. We're not going to make the next meeting anyway. Call and let them now." He got out of the car.

"Nishikado-sama," the driver called after him. "Where are you going?"

"For a walk," he answered. "I'll be back."

It had been a while since Soujiro had a chance to wander around aimless. He ignored the questioning glances. It was a trendy part of town, Harajuku. He looked out of place in his kimono. He heard the sounds of playing. There was an elementary school nearby. It was fascinating to watch how commoner children played. They didn't have to worry about things like playing with the wrong child or what not. They could just have fun. He saw them playing different games. A ball few over the fence, which he instinctively caught.

A boy about maybe six or seven ran to the fence. He was lithe and a bit tall for his age. There was something striking about this child. Soujiro and he stared at each other. "Please toss me the ball, Kimono-san," he requested.

Soujiro laughed out loud. He walked up to the fence. The closer he got, the better look he had of the boy. There was something about him that Soujiro couldn't quite place. The boy looked at him solemnly with the eyes of a much older child. "What's your name?" he asked rather impulsively.

"My mama said not to talk to strangers," said the boy.

"Didn't you just talk to me before?" asked Soujiro with some amusement.

"That's different. I just wanted the ball back."

Soujiro had an odd feeling as he looked at the boy. Reluctantly, he hurled the ball over the fense. The boy was quick, catching it easily. "Thank you, Kimono-san," he said before he took off running.

Soujiro couldn't help, but stare after him in wonder.

A few days later, Yuuki went to join Tsukushi for lunch at a new restaurant. She entered it and was seated. She thought of leaving, pretending there was some kind of emergency. It was too late because Tsukushi walked in. Yuuki thought how beautiful she had become since the last time she had seen her. "Yuuki-chan, it's great to see you!" exclaimed Tsukushi.

"Tsukushi-chan, you're glowing. Motherhood agrees with you," observed Yuuki. She got on her feet and they embraced each other.

"Thanks. You look fabulous, too," complimented Tsukushi. "Then again, you always made it look so easy."

Yuuki smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. They sat back down. She saw the plain gold band on Tsukushi's finger. On hers was a beautiful engagement ring with a wedding band. "Let's eat while we catch up."

Yuuki not wanting to talk about herself used the best ply in her arsenal of motherhood. "Tell me all about the baby."

It worked like a charm. Beaming, Tsukushi ended up talkinga bout the baby. Yuuki at times wanted to give advice, having had already experienced the same things herself, but she held back. Yuuki gave very little detail about her current life. Then at dessert, quite unexpectedly, Yuuki was faced with an even worse situation.

She saw him coming and willed herself to bear no expression good or otherwise. For his part, he looked rather surprised to see her. Yuuki wasn't, having seen Shun wear a similar face before. "Good afternoon, Doumyouji-san," greeted Yuuki. She turned her head a little bit and acknowledged the others. "Hanazawa-san. Mimasaka-san. Nishikado-san."

Tsukushi turned to face her husband. "I should have recognized your shadow," she said. "You remember, Yuuki, right? She just moved back here from Kyoto."

"I didn't expect to see you here, Yuuki-chan," said Soujiro, bring attention to himself. "What are you doing these days?"

Waiters seemingly appeared out of no where gathering more chairs for the F4. Tsukasa said, "You're married now, aren't you?"

"I was," said Yuuki, her voice sounding hallow in her ears, "but he's gone."

Tsukushi saw the distress on her face. "Gone?" she echoed.

"There was an accident less than a month ago," she said, casting her eyes down on her hand. "He died."

The table was collectively stunned. Yuuki drew a sharp breath. That was the first time she had actually said those painful words. She had forgotten that Soujiro was sitting beside her. She didn't look up because she didn't want to see the pity on their faces.

"Yuuki, I'm so sorry," whispered Tsukushi. "And here I was blabbing about the baby. I feel so awful. My assistant must have missed that. It doesn't matter." She stopped talking. It seemed to only make things worse.

"I preferred to keep it quiet. Aki wouldn't want the fuss," said Yuuki. "Don't feel bad."

Akira said, "I can't imagine how terrible it must have been for you for the past couple of days. At least you're here; you have family and friends here. If you need anything, I'm sure I'm speaking for everyone else, just ask."

"Thank you, Mimasaka-san," she said.

"What is your last name now?" asked Rui.

"Kinomoto. I even use it for my work. I am a fashion designer," replied Yuuki. She became aware of Soujiro's silence more and more. "Speaking of which, I must get back to my studio. There's a lot of work to do and it helps keep me distracted. Tsukushi, I'll talk to you later. Congratulations to you and Doumyouji-san again." She stood up and walked out.

"That was awkward," said Tsukasa after a moment of silence. "I was the one who asked the question."

"You didn't know," said Tsukushi. "I didn't know. I feel horrible."

Soujiro stood up without warning and left the restaurant, not saying a word. He looked up and down the street and saw Yuuki walking towards the train station. He had no idea why he was going after her. He had a flashback of when she was wandering around after that horrible boyfriend of hers had dumped her. This was different. She was getting further and further away, walking briskly. "Yuuki!" shouted Soujiro.

Yuuki heard his voice quite clearly over the roar of traffic and the hustling of the crowds around the station. She had to decide what she was going to do. Should she stop and wait for him to catch up to her? Then, she thought of Shun. She had to protect him. He was all she had. Yuuki's decision had been made, she walked faster.

Soujiro didn't know what was going on. He took off running, but she was too far ahead of him. By the time he caught up to her, he was just in time to see the doors close. He saw her and she saw him. The train took off.

* * *

Shun loved his parents' studio. It was a great place where he could draw on his mother's side, and take pictures on his father's side. He was probably the only seven year old who could sew a button back in its place and who knew the time of day a picture was taken just by look at the light and shadows in it.

Between the two assistants, Shun favored Lee. He trotted after him and looked up to him like an older brother. Lee was patient with him and Yuuki appreciated it.

The uncomfortable lunch was yesterday. Her sister had called this morning to check up on her, practically pleading with Yuuki to drop by their parents' house. Shun wasn't particularly close to his grandparents. Yuuki's mother had given her an ultimatum: leave Shun behind as soon as he was born or never return to the house in Tokyo. Yuuki wasn't completely without means to support herself and Shun. It seemed that Shun had been born with an extraordinary amount of luck.

"Kinomoto-san, there is a call for you from Shun-kun's school," said Ishida.

Yuuki nodded and took the call. Now one would have thought aths he would have been used to surprises, but the heaves must have been conspiring against her. That was the only reason. "Hello, this is Kinomoto Shun's mother. How may I help you?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Yuuki-san?"

She was sure the color had drained out of her face. "Hinata-san?" she breathed.

Shun had come in, seeing his mother's face. "Mama, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Is that Shun-kun in the background?" asked Sara.

"Yes, hang on," said Yuuki. She covered the speaker and said to Shun, "Go and play for a bit. I'm talking to someone at your school."

"Is it Hinata-sensei?" asked Shun. His eyes brightened. "She's my teacher."

Yuuki nodded. "Now go and play." Shun dashed off. "Sorry, I didn't know you were his teacher. I didn't even know you were a teacher, Hinata-san."

"I am arranging meetings with all of the parents."

Yuuki knew what must have been going through Sara's mind at that moment. "Yes, of course, when would you like to meet?"

"How about tomorrow afternoon when you come to pick up, Shun-kun?"

Glancing at the wall, Yuuki looked at the calendar. "Sure, tomorrow is fine."

"Fine, I'll see you ten," said Sara. "Bye.

"Bye," said Yuuki as Sara hung up. Sara didn't ask because she was going to ask Yuuki in person. "Urgh!" she exclaimed as she slammed the phone onto the receiver, jolting Ishida at the sewing machine.

"Millions of people in Tokyo!" snapped Yuuki. "You'd think that it would easy to avoid just a handful of people!"

"Kinomoto-san, what's the matter?" ventured Ishida gingerly. She wasn't used to see her boss so mad.

Yuuki shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong."

The bell rang. "I'll get it," said Ishida as she went to go answer it.

Yuuki was nearly in a panicked state. "What am I going to do?" she muttered under her breath, rubbing her temples.

There was no time to consider this. "Oh my goodness!" Yuuki heard Ishida exalim. "Hello my name is Ishida Beni. How are you?"

Yuuki went to go see the commotion. It wasn't Soujiro, but it was someone else almost as bad. "Yes, I spoke with you on the phone," said Tsukushi. She spotted Yuuki. "Sorry to drop by unannounced. I know I should have called."

"It's okay," said Yuuki numbly. She folded her arms over her chest. "Let's go to the office.

Tsukushi nodded and followed her. "About lunch, I had no idea. Honestly, I didn't want to hurt you—"

"MAMA!" shouted Shun as he limped in from the backyard. "I fell down!"

Yuuki had no time to be anxious around Tsukushi as she went into her mother mode. She went over to Shun who was sporting a skinned knee. Ishida saw and said, "Oh blood! I'll get the first aid kit."

Tsukushi stared transfixed on Shun. He was trying his hardest not to cry. "I tripped," he explained.

"It's okay," said Yuuki as she took the first aid kit from Ishida. "It's just a little scrape." She sprayed on the antiseptic after cleaning it for a bit. Shun whimpered. She put a bandage on it. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No," said Shun as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Yuuki kissed his cheek. She could see Tsukushi out of the corner of her eye utterly speechless. Yuuki sighed. There was no point in fighting it. "Shun, there is someone I'd like you to meet," she said, looking at Tsukushi.

"This is my son, Shun. Shun, this is my friend, Doumyouji Tsukushi."

* * *

AN: The one thing that always interests me about soaps is how people end up knowing each other one way or another. I figured it is a device that I can easily employ here. I had to find the chapter where Sara's name shows up. It took forever. Special thanks though to MythNLynx for saving me some time by answering my question on the forum. I guess by going to the forum, you can get a mild spoiler as to who will appear later on. It's also tricky to bring in all the characters in one place.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	4. Part Four: English Breakfast

The Tea Prince

Part Four: English Breakfast

Tsukushi wasn't making a good recovery. She was practically gawking at Shun. Shun bowed and said, "Pleasure to meet you."

Tsukushi nodded, wide eyed, and said, "Pleasure to meet you." She was looking back and forth between Shun and Yuuki.

He smiled at her. "You're pretty, he said.

Yuuki once again didn't know if she should laugh or cry. Shun could be utterly charming when he wanted to be. "Thank you," said Tsukushi. She added, "And you're a handsome boy."

"Thank you," he responded as he cut off a bit as he nuzzled his mother. Yuuki wondered what else Tsukushi was going to say in front of Shun.

"I just had a little boy, too," she told Shun. "He's only a month old. How old are you?"

"I just turned seven," he told her.

"Seven?" asked Tsukushi, directing that to Yuuki.

Yuuki decided to put a stop to this. She asked Shun, "Did you do your homework yet?"

"No," he answered.

"Then go and do it. I have a meeting with your teacher tomorrow."

"Okay," he said in English, which was something Lee did often. He went off to a designated corner to do his homework.

"Let's talk in the office," said Yuuki, knowing that Ishida was watching and listening. As soon as the doors shut behind them, Tsukushi said, "Seven? Seven years old?" She covered her mouth, and then dropped her hand. "Who is his father?"

"Shun has a father. Rather he had a father. His father was Kinomoto Akihito," said Yuuki unflinchingly.

"He looks like Nishikado-san," insisted Tsukushi. "The face. I've seen pictures of him in the house when he was that age. They're right in one of the drawing rooms."

"We're Japanese, Tsukushi, one of the most homogenous populations on the planet. Of course, we're going to share some characteristics."

"That's why you left so suddenly," breathed Tsukushi. She swallowed, and continued, "It was like you just vanished just like that." She snapped her fingers. "You were pregnant and you went away. That's what happened. That's why your mother made up some story about you getting a special scholarship to an exclusive school Kyoto."

Yuuki didn't say anything. Sure, her mother made up the story and told everyone who asked about her whereabouts. At first, she understood, but over time it gave way to disgust. She couldn't believe that her mother was that spineless, caring more about other people's opinons than she did about her own daughter.

"I need to sit down," moaned Tsukushi. Yuuki motioned to the long chaise on the other side of the office. Tsukushi sat down on it. "Look, I need you to tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth," said Yuuki evenly.

Tsukushi muttered, "How could you keep him a secret?"

"I didn't," answered Yuuki. "And even if I did, it's really none of your business or anyone else's for that matter."

Tsukushi said, "It is partly my business. Tsukasa's family does business with Nishikado's family. In fact, they're partnered on some projects."

"Those have nothing to do with me or my son." Yuuki was the vision of calm. She was unshakable at that moment, digging her heels in for a fight. It shouldn't have shocked Tsukushi at all. She remembered how quietly determined Yuuki was when she pursued Nishikado and how bold she was when she confessed to him. It was then that Tsukushi's eyes fell on the shrine on fine wooden cabinet.

It was a picture of a handsome young man with longish hair and laughing eyes. It wasn't formal at all. It was a completely candid shot that told the world more about him than anything else.

"You said before that it was over and that the next time you would find someone who was good for you," said Tsukushi.

Yuuki, followed Tsukushi's line of vision, turning she saw what she was looking. Yuuki swallowed hard. "I did. No, he was the one who found me. At first, I didn't think it was fair to lead him on. Aki came to the design school to take pictures of the projects that the students were doing. He was older than me. Five years, but it didn't make much of a difference. Most of the time, I couldn't hang out with the other students. I kept to myself."

She felt ashamed of herself for not telling anyone about her son at the time. She didn't want anyone judging her. She continued, "Do you remember that horrible little studio apartment you had before? You know the one where the floor gave way because of the heavy furniture those fools sent you?"

"Yes, I remember," groaned Tsukushi. She still couldn't quite laugh at it, even though they had promised that she would eventually.

"Shun and I stayed in place like that for the first two years. It didn't even have a proper bathroom. It got harder once Shun outgrew the washtub. But the land lady, Kaede-san, always watched Shun. She was a grandmother, but her son was living in Hokkaido and was always too busy to visit. I worked as a hostess and a waitress while going to school and taking care of Shun."

Yuuki looked at the picture. "I wasn't looking for a knight in shining armor. I tried to scare him off by introducing him to Shun early on, but it backfired. They were both fascinated by each other. Before I knew it, we were a family." She rubbed her throat. There was more. Much more. She wasn't the only one who thought they didn't belong together.

"Kinomoto-san is the only father Shun has ever known. He had earned the right to be called his father. I will protect Aki's memory for Shun. I will not let anyone take him from my son, not even you." Her voice trembled at the last word.

The stare that she had given to Tsukushi was a mixture of grief and determination. Tsukushi sighed. "I understand. I would do the same for my son. I am really sorry about your husband. I came here for you. To be here for you."

Yuuki, who had been so against crying in front of anyone, could feel her façade crumbling. She hadn't cried in front of the mourners at her husband's funeral. She hadn't cried in front of her son. The only person she cried in front of was the police officer who came to tell her what had happened to Aki. She didn't even know that she was crying until Tsukushi rose to her feet and closed the distance between them. Tsukushi embraced her. "Go ahead and cry. It's okay. You've put up a front long enough."

* * *

After that lunch, Soujiro looked up information on Yuuki's husband. On the surface, he and Kinomoto Akihito were basically the same. The photographer came from one of the oldest families in Kyoto, but as the youngest son of four, he wouldn't have gotten anything. Soujiro found out that Aki had dated lots of models before he had gotten married, but no where near as many as Soujiro. From all indications, Aki had built his reputation and career without the help of his family.

Soujiro also looked at Yuuki's career. Interestingly she had started off designing maternity and post maternity wear. An odd choice, given Japan's low birth rate. She had even spent a year working Milan's fashion houses. Her husband had taken pictures in Europe during that time. They had even lived in Brazil before moving back to Kyoto, then finally to Tokyo.

Now Soujiro had been a playboy for most of his teens and into his adult life. It didn't phase him to hear about his loves getting married and having families of their own. He would just ignore it and be happy for them. Yuuki was a very different case. She was Tsukushi's friend.

Before she was cute, now she had the confidence of a woman beyond her years. She was elegant and chic. Soujiro hadn't expected that. To his surprise, Yuuki's studio was located in the district where his car was stuck in traffic. It was the day he met the strange child.

He remembered when she had confessed. He told her to find a good guy. She had done just that. Now that good guy was dead and gone. Soujiro was relieved partly that she had found that good guy. He was sure she would have. She had deserved that much.

There was a knock at the door of his study. His mother's voice came through, "There is a call from your father. He needs to speak with you."

Soujiro sighed. He got up and put away all of the things. He hadn't had a chance to look at it all. There was something he had missed, but he didn't know just how important it was. He opened the door and nodded.

He had a feeling he knew what this conversation was about. Partly, he blamed Tsukasa for getting married and now having a baby. This only added more pressure to him. He was only twenty-six, so there was still more than enough time to find some suitable and continue the family line. Looking at his mother, he thought about how sad and pathetic she was. How she put up with his father's affairs. He had been covering for his father for years now. He couldn't do that to someone. He wouldn't.

* * *

Tsukushi remained with Yuuki through the afternoon. She didn't ask any more questions about Shun. It seemed to only cause Yuuki more pain. She wondered what she would do with the information. After an hour in the office, Yuuki had to take some calls. Meanwhile, Tsukushi watched Shun.

Shun was an interesting child to say the least. When she started watching him, he was playing with some origami paper. He was folding them with a lot of concentration. He was much more subdued after he had hurt himself.

"When he starts something, he doesn't like to stop," said Yuuki as she came up behind her.

"You did the same thing in school before," said Tsukushi. "I can see you in him. He's adorable."

"He takes after Aki, too," said Yuuki. "That stubborn quiet nature. He got from him."

"I should be headed back to the house," said Tsukushi. "Do you mind if we get together again? I can bring my baby here or we can meet at your place." She offered this knowing that it would be easier on Yuuki. There was little chance of anyone they knew mutually showing up.

"Remember when we were growing up, we would imagine this?" asked Yuuki. "Of course, I thought our children would be closer in age."

Tsukushi smiled. "Also, I wasn't kidding when I said I needed a dress for that ball. I really don't want to go, but it's supposed to be the sign that I'm going back to work at the law firm."

"You don't want to leave him and go back to work, do you?"

"It's such a relief to have a friend who understands."

Tsukushi's cell phone rang. She dug into her bag and found it. "It's Tsukasa." She answered. "Hello?" Yuuki smiled a bit when she heard his voice. He was obviously yelling. Tsukushi never backed down from a fight with her husband. "I said I'd be back. I'm okay. I'm coming home right now." She hung up. "I have to go. The baby is being fussy."

"I understand," nodded Yuuki.

"I swear it's like that baby isn't sleeping unless he's both of us are there," muttered Tsuksuhi. "I am so tired."

Yuuki said, "You know if you two are the way that I remember, you just spar with each other because that's the only way you two really talk to each other. Did you argue much when you were pregnant?"

"No more than usual," shrugged Tsukushi. "Tsukasa tried to pull back, but he couldn't. I didn't want him to."

"When I was pregnant, I was told to be very careful. I read books about how babies could hear from inside the womb. Your baby heard you two fighting all the time. That's probably the reason why he can't sleep when it's nice and quiet. It doesn't put him at ease."

Tsukushi looked a bit puzzled. "No, that can't be it. That would just be plain weird if that was it."

"His father isn't exactly normal."

"I'll go now. I'll talk to you later, Yuuki. Please just call if you need anything," said Tsukushi with a sigh as her phone started ringing again.

Yuuki nodded. She looked at the clock. "I think that's it for the day. Ishida-san, would you mind locking up? Also, tell Lee, too. I have to take Shun home."

When Tsukushi arrived home, she wasn't entirely surprised to find Tsukasa, trying to cope with Hiroyuki's crying. On top of that, Rui and Akira were there. They were playing pool. Tsukasa at first looked relieved to see his wife, but then he looked rather annoyed with her. "There you are. Finally, how could you abandon your own child?" he demanded.

"I left for one afternoon," said Tsukushi with some annoyance. "I came back." She took the baby from him. "I suppose when I go back to work, you'll say I'm abandoning him?" The baby had stopped crying. He looked back and forth between his parents. Tsukushi looked at him. "She was right."

"Who was right?" asked Rui.

"Yuuki. She said that Hiroyuki was probably used to us fighting. That's why he doesn't like quiet," answered Tsukushi.

"You visited, Yuuki?" asked Akira.

Tsukushi nodded. "I wanted to clear things up from lunch. I wanted to make sure she was okay. She's not quite ready to socialize. I saw a picture of her husband. By what she said, he was a good man." She mentally added, _And__ a good father._ She glanced at Tsukasa.

"We have a weird baby," he concluded. "He gets that from your side."

"My side?!"

Hiroyuki joined in by making some noises. Tsukushi was annoyed by Tsukasa. They were already getting ready to have another argument, but she couldn't imagine anyone else she'd put up with. She cut Tsukasa off with a kiss before he could say another word.

* * *

AN: I wondered as I wrote this chapter if Yuuki was too weepy. I just wanted to be as realistic as possible regarding her life. Also, I am shocked and amazed at how quickly the numbers have jumped. I base my updates on the number of reviews and hits. So thanks for all the attention on this little fanfic. It's going to be quite a ride.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	5. Part Five: Oolong

The Tea Prince

Part Five: Oolong

The next day Yuuki went to Shun's school to meet with his teacher. There was another parent who was also picking up her child from the same class. The woman was the sort of type who liked to check out the other mothers, wondering how she measured up.

Yuuki knew that she was probably the youngest mother in her son's class. It didn't bother her when some of the fathers leered at her. It bothered her more when the mothers gave her the evil eye without even knowing who she was.

"You seem awfully young to have a child this age," said the woman, looking to confirm what wasn't any of her business.

Yuuki asked as sweetly as possible, "You seem awfully old to have a child this age. Either that you're just really worn out."

The woman gaped at her as her son, a small chubby child, came up to her. She left, dragging her child along, after glaring at Yuuki. Shun came racing towards Yuuki as they left. It always seemed as if he was always moving. Aki joked around saying they should harness that energy to run the studio after seeing the first electric bill.

Shun gave her an impish grin. "Yuuki-san, it's good to see you," said Sara as she watched them for a bit from the doorway.

"Mama, this is my teacher," said Shun excitedly as he grabbed Yuuki's hand to lead her. His energy was infectious at times. "I've been a good boy."

"I'd like to hear that from your teacher, Shun-kun," Yuuki told him. She knew better than just to believe him. He always told her he was good when he really wasn't. "Go and play."

"I wanna stay."

Sara intervened, "Shun-kun, it will be just boring grown up talk."

"Okay," said Shun, but he was totally convinced. He went out to the playground anyway after looking at them.

Yuuki followed Sara into the classroom and she shut the door behind her. "Sara-san, you look the same as before," she observed.

"You don't," said Sara. "You look more beautiful."

"No, I just look older. So, about Shun. How is he doing?"

"He's all right. Very focused in class and lessons, but during quiet study he gets bored. He finishes the exercises before the other children, and he gets disruptive."

"Oh," said Yuuki. "It's never been a problem before. His father normally would handle it." Aki was good at reasoning with Shun. Yuuki was at a loss sometimes with Shun. Aki said it was something that only father could deal with. A father-son thing.

Sara listened carefully. "That is probably the reason why he's misbehaving. About Shun's father," she started, and then paused. "Kinomoto-san?"

Yuuki nodded, "Yes, my husband."

Sara glanced out the window at Shun who was playing on the swing. "When I saw Shun, I was a child again for an instant." She stared at Yuuki. "I admit it was very disconcerting. That's why I had to meet with you."

"He likes you," said Yuuki quietly. "At home, he likes to talk about what his sensei did in class."

"Jiro doesn't know, does he?"

"I don't want to put my child into that world. There's no point. It's been eight years. We'll be all right."

"Doesn't he have the right to know?"

Yuuki said quietly, "No, he doesn't." She shook her head.

Sara felt a chill go through her. How cold could Yuuki be? "You, of all people, Sara-san should know what he's capable of. How much hurt he can inflict upon people. I don't care what happens to him. I only care about my son."

"Soujiro would never do anything to Shun."

Yuuki's eyes narrowed a shiver ran down Sara's pine. "Tell me what would the Nishikado Family do?" She asked in a harsh whisper. "Look at Nishikado-san, don't tell me he isn't like that because of them. I will not allow that to happen to my son."

Sara nodded. "Shun is a happy child. Not totally carefree, but he's happy. He's a good student. I want him to stay in my class."

"I'll talk to him about the study time," said Yuuki. "He knows better."

Sara shook her head, "I'll just give him more to do when he gets like that."

They looked out the window and he was gone. Yuuki went cold. "Where'd he go?" she asked as she strode to the closest window. Shun's head popped up at the window. He grinned and waved at them. Both Yuuki and Sara breathed a sigh of relief. Sara went and opened the window closest to her desk. "You can come back in now, Shun-kun," she told him.

"Does anyone else know?" asked Sara.

"Including you and me? Four people. No, three now," answered Yuuki.

"You told your husband?"

"Of course, we had no secrets."

"Mama!" shouted Shun as he bounded towards her. He latched onto her waist.

"I do have one more question," said Sara.

"Yes?" asked Yuuki as she patted Shun's head.

"Why does he pronounce some of his words so strongly? I mean it's not quite right. The la, li, lu, le, and lo sounds."

"He attended preschool in San Paolo for a bit while we were living there," explained Yuuki.

"My papa was taking picture there," added Shun.

Yuuki smiled, nodding, "Shun learned more Portuguese than either Aki or I did."

"Marvelous," said Sara. "I think that's it. Have a good day, both of you. Yuuki, don't worry about it. As his teacher, it's partly my job to keep this all quiet."

"Thank you, Sara-san," said Yuuki as she and Shun walked out hand in hand.

* * *

The music pulsated with the lights. Soujiro had a bottle of very expensive champagne chilling. He wasn't in the mood. Soujiro was in a darken club with some woman, whose name he had forgotten as soon as he had learned it. All he needed to know was that she was able and willing. She had her hand in his shirt, running her fingers across his chest. His hand was on the inside of her thigh. Her dress was so short he could feel the heat coming from her.

Apparently his father was on an extended business trip in Kyoto again. Soujiro knew he was lying. It pissed Soujiro off. On top of that, his father had pointed out that he should get married soon or they would choose someone for him. What a hypocrite.

"Nishikado-san," whined the girl.

He rolled her eyes. He could see why Akir preferred older women. This was all getting to be repetitive for Soujiro. Hardly any of them could really talk or present a challenge. Their voices were getting on his nerves.

He pulled her hand from his chest and withdrew his other hand from her thigh. "I need some air," he announced. He didn't even look back as he went outside. He felt better as soon as the night air hit him. Soujiro was just tired of everything. He wondered what the point of it all was. All the people he knew seemed to have changed here and there.

Tsukasa had changed the most, even Rui. Akira was still going around, but no where near as much as he used to. All three were directly affected by Tsukushi's presence. If Soujiro didn't know any better, he'd have sworn that Akira had some feelings for Tsukushi.

On second thought, the person who got the prize for changing the most had to be Yuuki. Soujiro was surprised to hear that she had gotten married and even managed to travel a bit. And now she was a young widow. Maybe his life wasn't as bad now that he thought of hers. It seemed the hardships of life had come down hard on her shoulders, but she didn't buckle.

He shouldn't have been surprised by that. He had rejected her so harshly the first time around that he was shocked that she would press on. She gave him a glimpse of the once-in-a-lifetime chance he had squandered so callously because he was afraid. In return, he had given her what he had given most women. It wasn't a fair exchange at all. He could see that now.

How could Soujiro not even notice that Yuuki was gone? It was like a completely different person came back from Kyoto. He barely recognized her. She wore her hair up and straight in a severe fashion that wasn't her at all. Her clothes were meticulous and dark. It was like the light had extinguished inside her.

Soujiro admitted to Yuuki once that he had been in love. He couldn't even being to imagine what she was going through. She had lost her husband. There was something else. He felt like he was missing something. He just didn't know what it was.

* * *

Sometime in the middle of the night, Shun had had an awful dream. In it, he was separated from his mother. He had looked for her everywhere and couldn't find her. He had woken up in tears. As soon as he was awake, he went to his parents' room.

"Mama," he said softly.

Yuuki woke up. She saw Shun rubbing his eyes. She asked, "What's wrong?"

"I had a bad dream," he sobbed. "You were gone. I couldn't find you."

Yuuki sat up and gathered him into her arms. "I'm right here," she reassured him in a soothing tone.

"I don't want you to go away like Papa," sobbed Shun.

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised, not letting him go. "You want to stay with me." Shun nodded and climbed on to the bed. He looked at his father's side. "It's okay. You can use it. Let's go to sleep now."

Shun fell asleep almost right away. Yuuki watched his chest rise and fall. He was the most important person in her life, even Aki knew that. She just couldn't sleep even though Shun was at peace. She felt a storm coming. Staring at the ceiling, she wondered if anyone else was having a rough night.

* * *

Tsukushi was going over things in her office. The baby was sleeping in a cradle nearby. He had fallen asleep after his parents' morning argument. So Tsukushi could work in peace. She was a lawyer who did a lot of business contracts, but her passion was human rights. She was planning on going back to work after the charity ball, but she wasn't quite ready to leave Hiroyuki at home.

Her private line rang. Only a few people had the line. She answered, "Hello?"

"Hello Tsukushi," said Yuuki.

"Yuuki? It's good to hear from you."

"You said that you needed to get that dress made. We didn't measure you when you were down here. You'll have to come in before the orders start coming in. I want to be able to fit you in."

"Sure, how does after lunch sound?"

"That's good."

Tsukushi checked on the baby. "I'll have to take the baby with me. The nanny has the day off."

"In case, you didn't know my business is very mother friendly."

Tsukushi laughed. "Yes, I would figure it is. Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"Yes, I have been thinking about updating my will. Aki and I drafted wills after we were married, but now that things have changed I need to do it again. I'd rather not do it when Shun is here."

"I understand. I can get the standard paperwork set up. We'll go over it."

"Thank you, Tsukushi-chan."

"Thank you, Yuuki-chan, for being able to squeeze me in."

"Who would have thought we'd be doing what we're doing for a living? I thought I'd end up as an office lady."

Tsukushi laughed. "No, you're too glamorous for that sort of thing. I would have ended up the office lady."

"I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, I'll see you."

* * *

AN: Now Yuuki said that less than a handful of people know. People might be able to guess the two of the three. Any guesses?

I would like to note that some of the tea names that I have chosen reflect what the chapter might be about.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	6. Part Six: White Tea

The Tea Prince

Part Six: White Tea

Yuuki was working on some designs. When she worked, she felt total focus and peace. She could shut the world away for that instant as she created the next piece. She was the same way when she was putting it together and sewing it. This particular design was something very special. She had always dreamt of making a design for one of her friends to wear to someplace special.

Ishida was still reeling from the fact that Yuuki wasn't just an associate of Tsukushi's, but her oldest friend. And it almost floored her when she found out that her boss also knew the F4. Ishida always admired her boss for being so creative and innovative, but she practically worshipped her when she found out about her connections.

It explained though why Ishida was still giddy when she came up to Yuuki. "Kinomoto-san, Doumyouji-sama is here for her appointment," she announced.

Yuuki snapped back to the real world. She nodded and said, "Send her over here."

Tsukushi wasn't alone. She had a stroller and a briefcase in one hand. She was dressed impeccably and her hair was done. But the dark circles under her eyes gave her away. Yuuki remembered the lack of sleep although she was sure that Tsukushi had all the help money could afford to care for Hiroyuki, who was snoozing in the stroller. "He cried the entire time over. The moment we got out of the limo with all the noise, he fell asleep," explained Tsukushi. "You were right."

Yuuki was looking Hiroyuki who was an adorable baby with his hair coming in. He looked just like his father. It was almost made Yuuki laugh. "I hope he has your temperament," she concluded.

"Yet to be determined," sighed Tsukushi. "My mother wasn't particularly helpful. She said that she had to learn to deal with me, so I'll have to deal with him."

"At least you can ask her," said Yuuki.

Tsukushi nodded and giggled a bit. "My mother and father are so carefree these days. Susumu is still in college. He hasn't decided what he wants to do yet, but he's glad to be away from them."

"You're still close to your family. It's good," said Yuuki. "Anyway, I think it's time I get some measurements of you. I'll show you the sketch I have in mind. If you like it, we can get started on."

"Sure," agreed Tsukushi as she pushed the stroller forward. "He's going to be asleep for a while. The nanny said that we need to get him on a schedule, but it's like he's running things for right now. Tsukasa and he ended up staying up until dawn this morning."

"Why he did do that?" asked Yuuki.

"Because Hiroyuki didn't want to go sleep for him, so his father was walking back and forth in the nursery. I offered to take him so that he could go to sleep, but Tsukasa said no. He said that he was the most powerful man in Japan and he wouldn't be beaten by his own infant son."

Yuuki started giggling at this. "He really said that?"

"Yes, he did," nodded Tsukushi. "He said that he managed to win me over. He survived being stabbed. He runs one of the most important and wealthiest companies in the world. Surely, he could put a child to sleep. By dawn, both of them were still awake. Hiroyuki's eyes were bright as if he had slept through the night."

"You didn't get to sleep either, did you?"

"Of course not. I had to watch them. In case, Tsukasa snapped. Not that he'd do anything to Hiroyuki, but he'd probably just destroy things around the house."

"Looks like the baby has your strong wills," observed Yuuki as she laughed.

Tsukushi saw the sketch that was on the drafting table. Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth. "Oh my goodness," she whispered as she started to get excited. "This is gorgeous. I love it. And it wraps around the middle like that. I was so worried about that. You know people are just looking for things that are wrong. It's so much pressure to get back into shape after having a baby."

Yuuki was immensely pleased, even more so because it was someone she was close to. "I need to get the colors just right. I've also been thinking of doing a line using natural, organic fibers. They're all the rage right now. I think that I can get some textiles. I need to make a trip to Hong Kong soon anyway. I'm thinking bamboo."

"Bamboo?" asked Tsukushi, images of pandas eating sticks with leaves danced through her head.

Yuuki shook her head at her, sighing, "You still don't pay attention to any trends, do you? How can you be so sharply dressed these days?"

"I have a stylist who handles the clothes. And these days I don't care. It's a miracle that I can get out of the house put together."

"I understand. Babies do take a lot out of you."

"They do. How did you manage by yourself?"

Yuuki shrugged. "Because I had to. When I was pregnant, I felt so removed. I thought seriously about the deal my mother had given me. Did I tell you? She said I had to make a choice. Then I went into labor. It was horrible."

"Believe me I know."

"You had all the best care right away. Something had gone horribly wrong. I knew it. I was bleeding. It wasn't until later did I get to the hospital. I felt like I was dying."

Tsukushi listened, fully aware that Ishida and possibly Lee were nearby. "The ball is still a long way off, why don't we get down to the other business? We'll go to your office for it," she suggested. She had a feeling Yuuki had forgotten that the assistants were about.

"Let's do it," said Yuuki. "The sooner I get that out of the way, the better I'll feel."

They went to the office with the baby still slumbering in the stroller. "See how sweetly he sleeps?" observes Tsukushi.

"He's so cute," said Yuuki. She sighed after closing the door behind her. She clapped her hands softly, rubbing them a bit. "Okay, let's do this."

"First off, here is a standard draft of a will that I have done," said Tsukushi.

Yuuki went to the file cabinet and pulled out a folder. "I have a copy of the wills Aki and I made before. I have two extra copies. One at home and one at the safety deposit box in the bank."

"That's good," said Tsukushi as she accepted the folder from Yuuki. She looked over the paperwork. "It looks pretty standard, too. If anything happens to you, most of your assets would have gone to Aki, and some would have gone into a trust fund for Shun-kun."

"I want it all to go into a trust fund for Shun now. The business, too. I also want to make sure that my employees are taken care of, too. But Shun is the most important person in the whole world to me."

Tsukushi nodded. She then said in a gentle manner, "What I am about to ask is difficult. I know that you are aware of the possibility of something happening to you and that's why you're doing the responsible thing. But there is something missing in all of this."

"What's missing?"

"If anything happened to you before Aki died, he would have become the sole guardian of Shun, right?"

Yuuki sighed and nodded after closing her eyes for a moment. "And now that he's gone, who will take care of Shun if anything happens to me?"

"I know this is difficult to think about. I deal with this all the time. I had Tsukasa go through this. It's only the right thing to do. If anything happens to me and Tsukasa, his sister would be Hiroyuki's guardian," said Tsukushi as she glanced at the baby. "It was hard, but we had to make a choice."

"I have no one in mind for a guardian," said Yuuki.

"What about your sister?"

"No one in my family would care for Shun as much as I do. To them, I am an embarrassment. Even now my parents think they're being gracious somehow by allowing me into their house. The strangest thing is that Shun hasn't been invited. They have never asked about him. That isn't even the worst of it."

"What about me?" offered Tsukushi. "I'd have to discuss it with Tsukasa, but he doesn't know about Shun."

"I want Shun to be with someone he knows," said Yuuki. "I'd have to think about it some more."

"You're probably right," said Tsukushi. She didn't even mention Soujiro. She wasn't going to force her. She was now her lawyer, so she would have to keep it confidential. It was part of her code.

"I guess we won't be able to finish this until I decide?"

"I still have to come back for more fittings for the dress, so we can do it then," answered Tsukushi. "Do you mind if I take these copies? I need to look them over more closely. I also can start the new draft."

"Go ahead, they're pretty invalid now anyway," sighed Yuuki.

"Just wait until you get my bill," teased Tsukushi.

Yuuki raised an eyebrow at her, retorting, "It will match the cost of the dress."

"Nicely played," conceded Tsukushi, giggling. "I guess we'll just barter our skills."

Yuuki actually really laughed this time. It was the first time in weeks. It felt like a bit of weight had been lifted off her chest. The baby woke up then and started cry. They immediately stopped laughing. Tsukushi tended to him.

* * *

At the same time that Yuuki and Tsukushi were meeting, Soujiro was finishing doing a ceremony. He was still restless and tense. He had returned to his office afterwards to change clothes and to prepare for the next thing on the agenda. He saw the file on Yuuki that he had abandoned days before. A thought came over him, after changing to more modern attire; he grabbed his car keys and headed out the door without adjusting his schedule. He took one of his cars, a more discrete one out. It seemed as if he was on autopilot then. The only thing he had forgotten to take with him was the file. He just drove until he got to where he needed to go.

Soujiro had no idea what he was doing in Harajuku. He wasn't dressed in his kimono this time, but he blended in just fine. He was curious about Yuuki's studio. It was sometime in the afternoon. He was in his own car. He got out of it, but he saw a limo pull up to the entrance and much to his surprise, Tsukushi and Yuuki came out with a stroller. They were talking to each other, but he couldn't tell what they were talking about. Yuuki seemed more relaxed than she did before. She even leaned into the stroller and smiled for the baby. She reached her hand out to him.

Soujiro thought Yuuki looked quite natural. The two women separated after that. He started towards them. He could now hear them talking. "I'll see you later, Yuuki-chan," said Tsukushi.

"I'll try to get the fabric ready for the dress for you before you come," promised Yuuki.

"Don't worry too much about it. It's still months away. Say hi to Shun for me, will you?"

"Yes," nodded Yuuki. She waved at them as the drove off and started to walk away from the studio. Soujiro wasn't sure why she wasn't going back in. He decided that he would catch up to her, but he had parked further away than he should have.

Yuuki went towards Shun's school unaware that anyone was after her. This time Soujiro didn't call out her name. He didn't want to just surprise her. The school was very close by. Soujiro didn't even notice until the school was in sight until she was almost there. He paused. Why was she going to the school?

Soujiro felt like someone had punched him in the stomach as soon as he saw that boy from before. The one who called him "Kimono-san" was running towards Yuuki. He wrapped his arms around her waist. She embraced him. When they separated, they began to walk towards the direction where he was as if they were coming to meet him.

* * *

AN: Cue my evil laughter. How is that for some progress? The chapters are fairly short because that's just how I wanted to do them. What should happen next? More twists coming up.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	7. Part Seven: Gun Powder

The Tea Prince

Part Seven: Gun Powder

Yuuki and Shun walked back to the studio. He was always happy to see her at the end of the school day. Yuuki could always really smile for him. It's like she saved all those smiles for him. Neither Yuuki nor Shun noticed Soujiro watching them. It was their world that he was watching.

His hands rounded into fists. Within Soujiro, his mind had two conflicting ideas running through it. First, there was the denial of what he was seeing. It couldn't be true. It just wasn't right. The other idea was that it made sense. He was utterly stunned at the moment by the time he realized that he had been standing there thinking about it too long rather than following them, they were gone.

Soujiro started towards the studio. By the time he got there, they were headed inside. He stopped short. Something came over him. Yuuki never mentioned having a child. Maybe, the child just looked big for his age. Perhaps, his father was Kinomoto Akihito. He took a deep breath. It was possible. Soujiro didn't know how old the child was exactly, so it was a possibly.

He went back to the car. The time was getting away from him and it was time to go back to work at the house. Unfortunately, he found it difficult to concentrate when he got there. After struggling to calm down after a few minutes at his desk, he called his assistant to move the appointments that afternoon.

Soujiro was at his desk. He couldn't shake what he had seen. Then, he remembered the file was right on top of his desk. He opened it this time thoroughly determined to read it straight through. He now saw the one piece of documentation that he had initially missed. It was at the bottom of the file.

It was a birth certificate. Soujiro read it. Yuuki had a baby boy seven years ago. His name when he was born was Matsuoka Shun. The section about the father had been left blank and her signature was there. The next document was an adoption form signed by Aki along with a legal name change for Shun. A copy of the marriage certificate was earlier in the file, so Soujiro flipped back to that and saw that Aki and Yuuki were married almost six years. The timing was completely off for Aki to be Shun's biological father.

Soujiro picked up the phone on his desk. He made a call. "Hello Tsukushi," he said.

"Nishikado-san?" asked Tsukushi.

"Are you home?" Soujiro already knew the answer because they lived somewhat close by and if he had just gotten home, then she would have already been home.

"Yes."

"I need to speak with you about something."

Tsukushi wasn't used to meeting with Soujiro all that often. They rarely met separately without anyone else around. "Are you sure you can't discuss this with Tsukasa?"

"It's a legal matter," replied Soujiro. "You're a lawyer."

"Oh, then by all means, if you need a consult, just drop by," said Tsukushi. "I'm not doing anything major right now."

Soujiro nodded. "Do you mind if I drop by now?"

"Sure. The baby is sleeping again. He tired Tsukasa out last night, so he's resting up for tonight's battle."

Soujiro had no humor in him at that moment. "I'll see you soon," he said, then hung up.

* * *

Yuuki was finishing up some work when her cell phone went off. It was truly a private call because very few people had her cell phone. She was one of those rare people in Tokyo who insisted that if anyone needed to reach her to call the office or her apartment to reach her. Her assistants had the number, but it was only a few people who had her number.

She still hadn't cleared Aki's number from her cell, even though his cell phone had been disconnected already. She couldn't bring herself to do it. It said it was a private caller. Yuuki answered it, "Hello?"

"Yuuki-san, it's me," said a voice on the other line.

The familiarity of the caller's voice sent chills down her spine. "Ichiro-san?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered, sounding a little annoyed. "I know I haven't called in a while, but I've been in Africa for the last few months. It's kind of hard to get a call out."

"No, I was just a bit surprised that's all," said Yuuki. "I take it you're in Japan."

"Yes, I just got back. I was hoping to get together with you and Aki, if you're both not too busy. I'd also like to see Shun."

Yuuki swallowed hard. "You haven't heard yet," she said quietly.

"What's wrong? I don't like that tone," he said.

"There was an accident. Aki's dead."

There was very long silence on the line. "I'll drop by the studio tonight and give you a ride back home."

"Shun's with me," said Yuuki. "His school is nearby so it makes everything nice and easy."

"Then, I'll take you both out for dinner. We really need to talk. I'd like to see Shun-kun, too. I want to see how he's doing."

"Okay," agreed Yuuki. "I'll see you tonight. You have the address, right?"

"Of course, Aki-san sent it to me as soon as you guys moved there," answered he answered. "I'll you both tonight. Tell Shun-kun for me."

Soujiro took his car over to the Doumyouji Mansion. He should have walked because that would have given him more time to calm down, but he was anxious to know what was going on with Yuuki and the child that he saw her with. He normally managed his temper very well. The staff at the house already knew him on sight. One of the maids, escorted him to the backyard where Tsukushi was picking flowers for a bouquet.

"There you are," said Tsukushi. "I thought it would be nice for us to be out here. The weather is starting to get a bit chilly. I just want to enjoy it before winter comes."

"You can always go to a warmer climate. All you have to do is ask," said Soujiro. "You've got an island."

"True, so what is this legal matter you need me to consult on?" asked Tsukushi.

Soujiro took a deep breath. He had brought the file from his office with him. "It's not really a legal matter."

"Oh?"

"It's about Yuuki."

Tsukushi's face was averted from Soujiro's. If her expression changed, it might have been for just an instant, because when she faced him she looked normal. "I just saw her today. She's doing as well as can be expected."

"Yes, I know you saw her today," confirmed Soujiro.

Tsukushi asked, "How did you know?"

"I was going to pay her a visit myself. I was worried about what happened before. I saw her talking to you and she was smiling at the baby."

"You really should make an appointment. Even Yuuki doesn't like being surprised like that. Her assistant is very capable, if a bit silly."

"That's not all. After you left, I was going to talk to her, but she didn't go back to the studio. I followed her. She went to a school." Now Tsukushi's face changed. "Who is Shun?" asked Soujiro. "You said to her to say hello to him for you."

Tsukushi saw Soujiro's eyes. She knew that an explosion was imminent. "What else did you see?" she asked, she wasn't about to give more away without knowing what he knew.

"She went to the school and picked up a child. A boy," answered Soujiro. "Is that Shun?"

"If you must know, I have taken Yuuki as a client as of today I am her lawyer," answered Tsukushi as she followed her arms over her chest. "There are things that are going on right now that you cannot possibly understand. It has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me?!" snapped Soujiro. "Nothing to do with me?! I have a report on her."

"Honestly, does invasion of privacy mean anything to you people?"

"Damn it, don't do this to me! Tell me the truth. Answer my question is he my son?"

Tsukushi wasn't looking at him, but pass him. "I am sorry. I can't tell you anything. Lawyer-client privilege, and I have to honor it. I am not about to compromise what I believe in just to satisfy your curiosity."

This only served to infuriate Soujiro further who hadn't taken notice of his friends who had come. The three of them were wide eyed with shock. They had heard the tail end of the conversation. "What the Hell is going on?" demanded Tsukasa.

Soujiro turned and shouted, "Your wife is withholding important information from me! Tell her what I need to know."

"He can try, but I'm not saying anything," retorted Tsukushi. She walked passed Soujiro and went into the house. This wasn't good at all as soon as she got inside; she walked even faster to the nearest phone.

Akira broke the uncomfortable silence. "What is going on? Soujiro, what did you mean your son?"

"Tsukasa, talk to her, tell I need to know," said Soujiro, ignoring Akira's question.

Tsukasa was expressionless. "I know my wife. I thought you did, too. When was the last time she ever did something she was completely unwilling to do?" he asked.

Rui said, "Explain everything, Soujiro. Please." His quiet voice seemed to have a soothing effect on Soujiro. Akira already took a seat in one of the nearby chairs. The other three sat down as Soujiro began his explanation.

Meanwhile, Tsukushi was trying to get a hold of Yuuki. "Hello Ishida-san? Is Kinomoto-san in?" she asked.

"She left early today with Shun," answered Ishida. "Is there anything I can help you with, Doumyouji-san?"

"No, I'll try her cell," replied Tsukushi. "Thank you." She hung up and dialed Yuuki's cell, but she didn't answer. She tried again. "Damn…oh damn," she muttered. "What am I going to do? Yuuki, where are you?"

"Ojisan, can I have some sashimi?" asked Shun, giving him pleading puppy dog eyes.

Yuuki correct him, "You have to say please. It's, 'May I please have some sashimi?', Shun-kun."

Shun repeated only, "Please?"

"Of course, you can," answered Ichiro. They were in a sushi restaurant that had just opened in near Yuuki's apartment. She was sitting across from Shun, who was next to Ichiro. She liked to watch them together. She could get an idea of what kind of man Shun would grow into. "But only if your mother says you can."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Ichiro. Give him half a chance; he'll eat his weight in sashimi."

"Hey, he's not my problem later," shrugged Ichiro.

Yuuki raised an eyebrow at him. "How is that fair? So, you would fill him with sashimi and just pass him back to me?"

"Why not?" laughed Ichiro. His hair was cropped shorter than when Yuuki had first met him. He said he had done it because it made him feel cooler in Africa. He wore glasses that had thin lenses and an almost invisible frame. The family resemblance though was uncanny.

Shun had similar mannerisms like the way he would lean on his forward with his chin. Sometimes when Yuuki watched him, she saw him in deep thought with his chin resting on his hand propped up on his elbow. She had seen Ichiro do that before as well.

"I want mochi," declared Shun.

Yuuki shook her head, "You haven't even finished your dinner. No dessert without dinner. You're just getting greedy."

"What kind of sashimi do you want? You already have a salmon roll," pointed out Ichiro.

"Toro," answered Shun.

Ichiro chuckled, "Sure, go for the good stuff. This child has expensive tastes." He glanced at him and added, "I guess it can't be helped. Aki loved it, too." His smile faded. He and Aki were friends. They had known each other from childhood.

Shun subdued a bit as he looked at Ichiro. "Are you going away again, Ojisan?" he asked suddenly in a small voice. He sounded frightened.

"Not for a while," answered Ichiro. "And if you want me to stay, I will."

"Please stay," said Shun immediately. "Don't go away again."

Yuuki saw how the tears that were brimming in Shun's eyes. Ichiro gave him a gentle smile. He promised, "I'm not going anywhere. Not when my nephew needs me."

* * *

AN: Like in any soap opera, everyone is tied together one way or another. Six degrees of separation. So, it only makes sense that Ichiro shows up in a very timely manner just as Soujiro begins to figure out what is going on.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	8. Part Eight: Red Bush

The Tea Prince

Part Eight: Red Bush

Tsukasa, Rui, and Akira sat silent for a long time. Each of them looked at the other. Soujiro had the file laid out. They all had seen the paperwork. Tsukasa broke the silence as he rubbed the back of his neck, "This is very surprising. Although, not too surprising. With you going around the way you do, I'm surprised that you haven't heard more claims."

Soujiro glared at him. "You bastard," he growled. "Don't talk so high and might at me. I'm not the only one whose done things in the past that have come back to haunt me."

"Don't tell me that you didn't think that this was a possibility," countered Tsukasa with equal ferocity. "I'm just stating what we're all thinking. And furthermore, you're lucky that's all I'm saying after the way you practically attacked my wife."

"Now, let's not do this," intervened Akira. "Let's look at this situation. You saw the kid on your own, right, Soujiro?"

"She didn't even mention him when she was with Tsukushi. She had the time to say that her husband was dead, but not enough time to mention she had a son," spat Soujiro angrily.

"You should talk to Yuuki first before making any assumptions," advised Rui. "If he was your son, it looks as if she didn't have any intention of telling anyone. We're your friends and your business associates as well. As it stands, only one of us officially has an heir." He made a sidelong glance at Tsukasa. Rui was the one who brought a practically sense to all of this, bring some reason to it.

"We can look into this a bit more, but Tsukushi won't cooperate with us, will she, Tsukasa?" asked Akira.

"Probably not," replied Tsukasa. However, Rui's words affect him as well. "I don't blame you for being mad, Soujiro. I can't imagine not being around my son or watching him grow up. When we were kids, our parents were always too busy to be around us. They had to do what they thought was best at the time. My father and mother are planning on dropping by for a visit from New York."

"You didn't tell Tsukushi, did you?" asked Rui, knowing full well how Tsukushi felt about Tsukasa's parents. Although, she didn't mind Tsukasa's father as much as she minded his mother.

"I will when they get here," said Tsukasa. "They want to see the baby. They have been working it into their schedules, so they are looking forward to it."

Soujiro sighed. "I want to meet Shun," he said finally. "Just to meet him. I saw him before. That's the strangest thing. I was near the school one day. He had thrown a ball over the fence. I caught it. I was wearing a kimono. So he called me Kimono-san. Good manners on him, but he wouldn't give his name." He knew now why there was something about the child. Why he was drawn to him.

"Kimono-san?" laughed Akira. "You may have to go through Yuuki. You should talk to her. Have it out once and for all, so we all can have some relief."

"This situation is a bad one. Her husband just died," pointed out Rui. "That means that she's on her own. Tsukushi said that she was her lawyer. You already know where Yuuki works and where her son goes to school. I'd say give her some time. I know that it will be difficult for you to do, but according these documents Aki was Shun's father. You know her better than any of the three of us. Would she have forced him to adopt Shun?"

"No," answered Soujiro without hesitation. "She wouldn't. And from what I have heard about him, he seemed like a saint. Much better than I am for sure."

"This is hard," muttered Akira with a sigh.

Tsukasa said, "I think that Tsukushi might let me know what's going on. But I'll have to be the one to ask her. Not you, Soujiro. Rui's right. Give her some time."

"Like you are a prime example of patience," muttered Soujiro.

"I waited four years to marry Tsukushi. You just found out about Shun. You can wait a few more weeks or so," said Tsukasa. "You should leave them be. Even though they look like they're fine, they're still grieving. You can't just burst in and say you're his father when the man who signed a piece of paper, saying he is, just died."

"What else could happen?" asked Soujiro. "I need a drink."

"I'll go and get the maid to bring something," said Tsukasa as he got to his feet.

Rui also got up. "I need to go use the bathroom," he said as he followed Tsukasa into the house.

"Tsukasa, get them to bring something strong. I mean really strong," said Akira as he looked at Soujiro. "He needs it."

* * *

Yuuki invited Ichiro to come up to their apartment. Shun was holding his hand most of time. He didn't seem willing to let him leave so easily. Ichiro didn't say anything about it. This was the first time he had visited the apartment in Tokyo. He had been to the house in Kyoto and the apartments in Sao Paolo and Milan. The Tokyo apartment was larger than the latter two. It was modern and had all of its trappings as well.

Ichiro preferred modern to traditional. Shun still had a bit of energy left in him. He beamed when his uncle told him stories about the last trip he had taken. Shun wanted to see pictures because that was what Aki always brought back from his trips. Ichiro promised to bring some the next time he visited.

Eventually, Shun was yawning and rubbing his eyes. "I think it's time for bed now," said Yuuki.

"I'm not tired," muttered Shun.

Ichiro said, "Go to bed now, Shun-kun."

"No."

"Shun," said Yuuki sternly. "You need to go to bed now."

Shun was about to protest again, but Ichiro picked him up effortlessly. "Your mother is the boss. She said it's time for bed, it's time for bed. Do you mind if take him, Yuuki-san?"

"No, I don't mind," answered Yuuki. She waited a bit and then followed them. Shun was more complacent now.

"I can change myself," he told Ichiro. He put on his pajamas. He was having some problem with his shirt. Ichiro took advantage of it and poked his stomach. "Hey!" he exclaimed giggling. "Stop that!"

"I know where you're ticklish," laughed Ichiro. He helped Shun with his shirt and got it on properly. "I want you to listen to your mother. Okay? You're the man of the house, so you have to take care of her," he told Shun. "Take care of each other. You shouldn't give her a hard time."

"I know," said Shun. "I miss Papa."

"I know you do. Your mama misses him, too, so the both of you should love each other more," said Ichiro.

"Yes, Ojisan," said Shun as he nodded. "I'll be good. Good night, Ojisan."

"Good night, Shun-kun," whispered Ichiro as Shun got into bed. He pulled the sheets up. He turned to Yuuki who walked to Shun. He kissed her and she kissed him. "Sweet dreams," she whispered as Ichiro watched them from the doorway.

They closed the door to Shun's room quietly. "Thank you for taking us out tonight. It's so good to see you, Ichiro," said Yuuki.

"Do you think it was a good idea for you to move back to Tokyo?" asked Ichiro quietly.

Yuuki shook her head. "But we're already here. I did see him. It was purely by chance. He and Tsukushi's husband are best friends."

"Yes, I know and you're her best friend. That's why I'm worried," said Ichiro.

"I was fine when I saw him. Perfectly fine. I didn't feel anything. It's hard to feel anything when you feel so cold and numb most of the time. I feel so tired, Ichiro. Much worse than before. Whatever I have, whatever I've got, I give to Shun." Yuuki trembled a bit. "I'm sorry. You just got back from being away and I'm laying all of this on you."

"You shouldn't hold it all in. Remember what I said before?" asked Ichiro. "I've been here since the beginning." He glanced at her. Her hair was so short when he had first met her. It was now longer, but she had it pinned up. "You look better with your hair down and with curls."

"It's a matter of control," explained Yuuki. "Things feel like they're spinning out of control. My hair, my work, and this apartment I try to keep in control as much as possible because I'm afraid if I let go for just a second, it will all be gone. I don't want Shun to feel like that, so I try to at least make it look like everything is okay."

"It's funny how fate seems to play its hand in people's lives," said Ichiro quietly. "I never thought that I'd ever meet you. Then, I did. Later on, you married one of my oldest friends. Aki and I used to play together whenever I came up to Kyoto. He was too good for this world. He's watching over you and Shun."

Yuuki thought of something. "There is something I need to ask you. Tsukushi is a lawyer. She does a lot of pro bono work with some paying clients. Today I asked her to draft a new will for me."

"How practical of you," said Ichiro.

"She said that I should assign a guardian to Shun in case anything happens to me. I'm all he has really, but I was wondering if you would be his guardian. I don't have any family to rely upon for it. Shun doesn't know Tsukushi, even though she offered and I'm sure that she would give him everything he needed. But it's more important that Shun be with someone he knows and loves."

Ichiro nodded. He answered without hesitation, "Yes, I'll do it. In fact, I'm glad you asked me. It's an honor that you trust me that much."

"Don't worry. I don't plan on going anywhere, Ichiro-san," said Yuuki. She took a deep breath, giving him a shadow of a smile.

The room was somewhat dim. Her cell phone was on the counter and it was flashing. Ichiro pointed out, "Your phone is ringing."

"I don't know who'd call me," said Yuuki as she stood up to go and look at it. She saw that it was a private caller. "Hello? Tsukushi? What's wrong?" She paused. Then her eyes widened in horror and her voice shook as she said, "What do you mean he knows? How? My phone was on silent. I was out to dinner with Shun and a friend." She glanced at Ichiro, who gave her a questioning look. "What did you say to him? Then how did he find out? You mean you didn't stay to find out? It's okay. I'm not mad at you. Look, call me back as soon as you know what else is going on. Talk to Tsukasa, please. Good night."

She hung up the phone. "What's wrong?" asked Ichiro.

"Tsukushi said that Soujiro knows," answered Yuuki. "Somehow he found out."

"Calm down," said Ichiro. "He hasn't confirmed anything."

"He's your brother," said Yuuki. "Do you know what he'll do next?"

"It's been a while since I've seen him, but if I had to predict his next move, I'd say he'll probably confront you," answered Ichiro. "Unless he's convinced otherwise. What did you friend do?"

"She said that she didn't confirm anything and in fact walked away as soon as her husband got home."

"Ah, Tsukasa-kun is still the leader of that group," sighed Ichiro. "Would you believe I've known them since they were kids?"

"You know everyone," snapped Yuuki. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. This was the last thing I needed." She was shaking her head.

"Did you consider, cutting him off at the pass? Arranging a meeting with him before he has a chance to catch you off guard? It will be unexpected and he won't see it coming."

"What would I say to him?"

"Whatever you want. You can do whatever you," he stopped. He continued with a nervous laugh, "Just don't mention me. I have a feeling that my little brother will kill me."

"Is there anyway that I could have you explain and I go off to Africa?" asked Yuuki.

Ichiro answered, "Why don't we just leave Shun to explain for the both of us?"

"I've done an awful thing. I wouldn't be surprised if he was angry, but Shun is all I've got. He can still go out and have a family of his own. He could just leave us be. It's not that I need him for anything. Shun has everything he needs."

Ichiro held his tongue. He disagreed with Yuuki, but he didn't say anything because she had the power to cut him off from Shun, but he also didn't want to be cut off from her. She was practically family. He knew what it was like to be cut off from family. He was the one who choose to leave, but they were the ones who choose to cut him off. Ichiro wanted to tell Yuuki that his brother wasn't like their parents, but he knew that she was afraid of losing her son. He wasn't about to let that happen.

"I'm just glad you're in Japan. It's really great to see you," said Yuuki.

"It's good to see you, too, Yuuki," said Ichiro. "No matter how bad things get, it's always good to see you."

"I hope you stay," said Yuuki. "I mean not just for Shun, but for me, too."

"That's the plan," said Ichiro with a smile.

* * *

AN: Not quite a cliffhanger this time, but the chapter was running a bit long anyway. Now I regret that Rui and Akira haven't had much to do so far and that's why I included them here. To me, they've always been the voices of reason within the group. Not that Soujiro is sensible. In this fic, he's not going to be.

Also, I have had a very hard time updating between busy schedules and my back pain that kicked in so badly I needed heavy prescription drugs to cope with the pain. I still can't sit for more than twenty minutes at a time without any pain. Needless to say, real life kicked in hard. I do have chapters as back up ready to go, but I haven't had the chance to really update. Anyway, enough of that, more to come soon.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	9. Part Nine: Persimmon

The Tea Prince

Part Nine: Persimmon

Yuuki was anxious over the next few days. She didn't want to worry Shun, so she had little choice, but to follow their usual routines. She wondered if Ichiro's advice was good. Perhaps making the first approach was the better way to go rather than waiting for Soujiro to make his move.

Tsukushi had warned her and also promised to keep track from her end. She mentioned that Soujiro was fairly angry. Tsukasa hadn't said much to her about it, but Yuuki could understand that Tsukasa probably wasn't used to be put in the middle like that. He was on his wife's side, but Soujiro was one of his oldest friends. Tsukushi didn't want to make Tsukasa choose either, so she left him alone.

Soujiro being angry wasn't something that Yuuki was afraid of. As far as she was concerned, he didn't have the right. He had treated women like they were disposable. Yuuki admitted that she had only herself to blame for putting herself in that situation. Soujiro had given her chances to stop, but she didn't.

"Mama," said Shun as he walked beside her on the way to the school. "How is Ojisan my ojisan?" he asked.

Yuuki replied, "Well, he's kind of like an older brother to me."

"Oh, I thought he was Papa's brother," said Shun.

"He kind of is."

Yuuki never lied to Shun. She simply didn't tell him everything. It was the complete truth. Parents did this sort of thing all the time, telling their children the truth, but leaving out some of it. Yuuki was looking around, but her untrained eyes totally missed the person who was following them. Shun also kept her distracted. Shun was aware of his mother's feelings most of the time. He just knew that something was upsetting her. When they got to the school, Shun gave her a hug and went off to class.

She wasn't aware that she and Shun were being followed by one of the Nishikado Family's guards. His job was to give reports back to Soujiro. He kept out of sight per his master's orders. He had been keeping track of them since they had left their apartment.

Soujiro had assigned his best and most trusted guard to protect them. Not that he was expecting trouble. He was at meetings all day. He had even broken a few dates that he had had. If Soujiro hadn't sent his guard, he probably would have been even more distracted than he already was.

This guard watched as Yuuki pulled out her cell after waving goodbye to Shun. "Hello Tsukushi, it's me," she said. "I wanted to discuss with you the paperwork you've been working on. I think I'd rather go to you this time. I'll be there soon. I'm just leaving Shun's school now." She hung up and headed for the train station.

* * *

By midmorning, Soujiro had returned home to change again. His mother was busy having the servants pack for her. She seemed surprised to see him. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Kyoto," answered his mother. "Your father needs me."

Now that was odd. Soujiro's mother stayed in Tokyo most of the time, only traveling on family vacations when he and his brothers were younger. Also, Soujiro knew that his father had a mistress in Kyoto, so he had never summoned his mother there before. It was difficult to tell why his mother was so calm about it.

Soujiro's parents had had an arranged marriage. They had fought constantly throughout his childhood so much so that he couldn't stand being around either of them. His older brother left to become a doctor, while his younger brother went off to boarding school. Soujiro was stuck in the middle.

The source of all of the family's strife was Soujiro's father and his affairs. At the same time, Soujiro couldn't take his mother's passive-aggressive reactions to it. They should have just divorced if they were both so miserable. Instead, they were the poster couple for not getting married and Soujiro had managed to keep them from arranging a marriage for him. This was all he could think about as he asked, "Why?"

"He wouldn't say," answered his mother as she glanced at him. "All he said was that it was urgent."

Soujiro's phone went off. It was the guard who was covering Yuuki and Sun. "Have a good trip," he told his mother as he walked way. He answered his phone, "What do you have for me?"

"She is en route to the Doumyouji Mansion," reported his guard. "The child is currently in school."

"Damn," muttered Soujiro. If Yuuki was going to visit Tsukushi, then his guard wouldn't be able to get in. "Keep an eye on her for as long as possible, then follow her as soon as she leaves," he ordered.

An idea came to Soujiro, if Yuuki was already going to be at Doumyouji's place, then he could just drop by for a visit. It just so happened that the next appoint was with Tsukasa. He called his friend, "Hello Tsukasa. I was wondering if you were going home?"

"I'm in the office in town right now," answered Tsukasa.

"It's just that I have a ceremony to perform close to your house. I'm really packed right now. I can either meet you at your house or move the appointment."

Soujiro felt some guilt lying to Tsukasa. His friend was painfully honest most of the time. Soujiro was an expert liar, but even he had a hard time with Tsukasa. He was like a human lie detector. "If you knew that, why didn't you just fix it in the first place?" questioned Tsukasa.

Soujiro answered, "My assistant did it. You know how it goes. Besides, you haven't surprised Tsukushi in a while, have you?"

When they were first married, Tsukasa would randomly just drop by at the house or Tsukushi's office, and she would do the same. "I'll see you there," agreed Tsukasa.

Soujiro hung up the phone, grabbed his car keys, and left.

* * *

This was Yuuki's first visit to the magnificent Doumyouji Mansion. It was hard to believe that Sukushi was the mistress of the house. Yuuki was greeted at the door by a maid. "Hello, you must be Kinomoto-san," she said as she bowed to Yuuki.

"Yes, I am," said Yuuki, returning the bow.

"This way," said the maid. Yuuki was led to one of the drawing rooms where Tsukushi was at a desk. Hiroyuki was strappedto her back. He was wide eyed and content. The maid announced, "Kinomoto-san has arrived, Doumyouji-dono."

"Thank you, Youko," said Tsukushi as she grinned at Yuuki. The maid bowed and exited the room.

"You look like one of those mothers in those old pictures with the baby strapped to your back like that," observed Yuuki.

"He didn't want to be put down and I needed to work," laughed Tsukushi. "It's like carrying a moving backpack."

"I had one of those slings they use in Europe that crosses over the front," said Yuuki as she waved over her front. "I made it myself though."

"No doubt Shun is one of the best dressed kids I've seen," said Tsukushi.

"I did make him clothes," admitted Yuuki. "I was bored during the past part of my pregnancy and I wasn't allowed to leave the house, so I had to keep myself occupied."

"Lucky him. I couldn't do that sort of thing well," said Tsukushi. "Buttons and patching holes I can do."

"Yes, but you can cook."

"Hiroyuki hasn't got any teeth yet," said Tsukushi as she got up. "Do you mind taking him off?"

"No, I don't mind. It's been a while since I held a baby," replied Yuuki as she unstrapped the baby and took him into her arms. "Oh, you're a big boy, aren't you, Hiroyuki-kun?"

"He takes after his father," said Tsukushi as she stretched. "I have the paperwork ready for you."

"I have a guardian in mind for Shun," said Yuuki as she held Hiroyuki a bit closer. "But there is more to tell you."

"What else can there be?" asked Tsukushi.

"Let me tell you about the day Shun was born," started Yuuki. "Then you'll understand." Tsukushi nodded and Yuuki proceeded it would take an hour for her to explain most of it. By the end they were both tired and emotionally drained.

"That is a lot to take in," whispered Tsukushi. "You're lucky to be alive."

"That's why I understand the necessity of this, even though it is unpleasant to think about," said Yuuki.

The paperwork was ready to sign. Hiroyuki had fallen asleep on Yuuki's lap. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready," answered Yuuki. Tsukushi picked up the baby from Yuuki after laying out the documentation. Yuuki had her stamp and signed it, after which Tukushi notarized it. She was able to do this one handed with a sleeping infant in one arm. "Thank you, Tsukushi-chan."

Soujiro and Tsukasa had arrived at the house almost at the same time. It could be observed that out of the F4, the pair shared the most similar personalities. This probably explained why Akira was the one who had to play referee throughout their childhood.

"After you," said Soujiro as they marched through the door.

Tsukasa's arrival caused a bit of a stir. "Where's my wife?" he asked one of the maids.

"She's in the first drawing room on the East Wing and—"

Soujiro cut her off, "Thanks. Let's go and say hello and get back to work."

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow at him, not appreciating the tone that Soujiro was using. But it was too late because Soujiro had already taken off.

"I have to be heading back to the studio," said Yuuki. "I need to get some work done. Vogue has requested some dresses for a shoot here in Tokyo. I also want to pick up Shun from school."

"Maybe you'll take him here for a visit next time," suggested Tsukushi as she rubbed her baby's back.

"This is probably the largest structure I've ever been in my entire life, so Shun would love it. He'd enjoy exploring it."

"I'd say he would," said Soujiro from the doorway. Yuuki's back was to him. Tsukushi's expression mirrored hers. Soujiro could see Tsukushi's face perfectly. "Hello Yuuki."

* * *

AN: Truly the most evil cliff hanger yet. The chapters are fairly short, but I'm still working on the storyline. Yes, persimmon is a type of tea in Asia. I had to start looking up more exotic ones as I went along because I was running out of names.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	10. Part Ten: Nilgiri

The Tea Prince

Part Ten: Nilgiri

Turning her head slightly, Yuuki said, "Nishikado-san, what a surprise. I guess Tsukushi wasn't expecting you."

"No!" exclaimed Tsukushi. Hiroyuki nuzzled her a bit, but continued sleeping. "What are you doing here."

"So this is why you had to move the meeting here?" demanded Tsukasa who came in. He took a deep breath as he said, "Hello Kinomoto-san."

"Good afternoon, Doumyouji-san. Sorry for the unexpected visit," said Yuuki in a polite voice. She suggested to Tsukushi, "Why don't you put your baby down, Tsukush-chan? Your arms must be tired."

"I'll take him," offered Tsukasa.

Yuuki said, "You both should put him down together."

"Yuuki," said Tsukushi worriedly.

"I'll be all right," Yuuki assured her.

Soujiro further added, "She'll be fine. Just go."

Tsukasa gathered the baby from Tsukushi. "Come on," he urged her.

"We'll be close by," said Tsukushi as she squeezed Yuuki's shoulder. "Just holler if you need us." They left the room.

"What can I do for you, Nishikado-san?" asked Yuuki. She turned to face him. She had no expression as she folded her arms over her chest.

Soujiro asked, "Why didn't you say you had a son?"

"No one asked. I don't give every detail of my life over a lunch," replied Yuuki.

"Who's his father?" demanded Soujiro.

"My husband was."

"Now why don't I believe you?"

"It doesn't matter to me whether you believe me or not. Your opinion of me doesn't matter to me."

"He's seven years old. He was born in Kyoto. His birth certificate has no father listed."

Yuuki already knew that Soujiro had all the paperwork. "What do you think happened?" she asked.

"I think the timing is suspicious. I think he's my child," answered Soujiro.

"How do you know that for sure?" asked Yuuki. "If you can go with whomever you want, then I can, too. I'm just a lot more selective than you are."

Soujiro laughed, but it had no humor in it. "You're denying it."

"Yes."

He was never quite able to determine what he found so attractive about her. He could see it now. It was the energy that smoldering, low light in her. Yuki had a quiet, dignified strength about her. Unlike most women Soujiro was used to dealing with, there was always more going on inside her than what she let people see. It wasn't that she was secretive or mysterious on purpose. There were many layers about her. So many different faces. Soujiro hadn't seen them all as he thought he had before.

"Allow me to make it perfectly clear to you," said Yuuki as she walked up to him. She looked him straight in eye. "He is my son. You are not his father."

Soujiro looked down at her. If he wasn't so infuriated by her, he would have kissed her. "Very well," he said.

"Good. I want you to leave us alone."

"Sorry, but I can't."

"What happened between us was over after that day. I accepted it. You were the one who insisted on it. It would be best for me if we didn't do this."

"I just want to meet him."

"No."

Soujiro said something he couldn't help, but say, "You know you look better with your hair down and curly. The way you have it up right now doesn't suit you."

"How I wear my hair isn't any of your business," stated Yuuki plainly.

"No, it's not," agreed Soujiro. He could tell that Yuuki developed a hard exterior. "I know how hard it must have been for you."

"Until you've lived it, you can't imagine it," whispered Yuuki. "You stay away from my son, or so help me you will regret it."

"I already have enough regrets. One more isn't going to hurt." He didn't voice his thought about the biggest regret he'd have if he didn't get a chance to meet with Shun. "Have you ever read the Iliad?"

"Yes. The Trojan War."

"Do you remember why there were a thousand ships?"

"I'm no Helen of Troy. What's your point?"

"She was the reason for the war or rather an excuse for it. No, my point is that only one country was insulted, but they all had an alliance amongst all the nations and that was why so many went to war."

Yuuki understood. Her career was built on the connections that she had made. It just so happened that many of those some connections were linked one way or another to the F4 families. She remembered how Soujiro, Akira, and Rui had protected her family when the Doumyouji Kaede went after hers.

"Has it occurred to you that you people have done enough harm to me? Can't you just leave me and my life be?"

"I'm only asking about Shun. I will not hurt you or him."

"That's just it. He's my life. You don't get it. You don't get any other part of me. That's it."

"I am sorry about your husband," said Soujiro. "He sounded like a great man."

"He was the greatest," whispered Yuuki as her hands rounded into fists. She wanted to tell him to shut up and that he had no right to talk about Aki like he knew him. "A lot better than you," she admitted.

Soujiro's face was impassive. Not that he deserve that jab. "I'm glad to hear that he was a good father to your son," he said.

"He was his father," said Yuuki. "I don't know how many ways I have to tell you or how I should say it to get you to understand. He was his father. He was my son's father. You won't take him away from my son. You have everything in this world. Leave my son alone. Are we done now?"

"Yes," answered Soujiro, but Yuuki didn't wait for his permission to take her leave. She walked by him after making one huge side step.

Yuuki walked faster than she had wanted to. She didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to Tsukushi, but she would be a fool to stay any longer. She knew it wasn't over. It was far from over. She had to go before she lost her strength.

A few minutes, Tsukasa and Tsukushi returned. Soujiro was looking out the window into the courtyard when they came in. "Where did Yuuki go?" asked Tsukushi.

"She just left," answered Soujiro. "Probably back to her work."

"Are you all right?" asked Tsukasa.

"No," replied Soujiro. "You were right. I should have taken my time."

Tsukushi glanced at her husband. "You told him to wait?"

"Yeah," nodded Tsukasa. He sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "This is one very messy situation. It's not like they're unable to take care of themselves. As far as I can tell Yuuki's husband had a good insurance policy. It paid off the mortgage on the studio, which is the only property they really own. The apartment they live in is just a rental, but in a nice part of the city. They made a lot of money. Kinomoto-san was in the process of releasing a picture book before he had died."

"How did you know all this?" demanded Tsukushi.

"Looked it up. Rather I had my assistant do it," replied Tsukasa. "I just wanted to make sure that she was fine financially. At least for both your sakes. I wouldn't care either way if it was just me."

"What did you do for her today?" asked Soujiro to Tsukushi. "Or you can't tell me."

"Sorry, but it really was something to do with work," answered Tsukushi. "I feel for you. I really do, Nishikado-san. But you have no idea what she has been through. There are still parts of it I am sure she hasn't said to me. Her husband dying is the worst of it. She doesn't want to be rescued by anyone. Not by you or me. She's been taking care of herself and Shun for years."

"What's he like?"

Tsukushi sighed. She didn't really want to say much to Soujiro, but if this was all he had, then she could give it to him. "He's a sweet boy. The first time I saw him he was almost crying because he fell in the yard they have in the studio. He had scraped his knee. He was trying his hardest not to cry when she was tending to his wound. I'd say he's pretty smart. Yuuki said that he likes puzzles."

"Puzzles?"

"Yes, you know the kind you put together. He's a naturally curious child. Seems like the kind who could cause trouble if not properly occupied. He adores his mother. I think she's probably the only person he really listens to."

Soujiro kept his eyes trained on the plants outside. He hadn't made any promises exactly that he would stay away from him, but that didn't mean he couldn't see him around. "He must miss his father," he whispered.

"Yuuki said that he tries hard not to cry. But sometimes he does," said Tsukushi. "He's like his mother that way. They're both quite strong most of the time. They find it hard to lean on anyone. So for both of them to trust Kinomoto-san was a huge leap of faith. Do you really think it's fair for you to judge her because she wants to protect her son? Wouldn't you do the same if you were in her place?"

Soujiro nodded. "What would you do, Tsukasa?"

"When you become a parent, you realize that the world isn't about you," replied Tsukasa. "I just think of what my father did and try to do some of it the opposite. That's why I'm here a lot. I'm actually thinking of not giving him an allowance when he's older or getting him every single thing he wants."

"You can't tell me how relieved I am to hear you say that," said Tsukushi gratefully.

It was then that Soujiro thought of his own father. His own father was around more than Tsukasa's, but just because he was there didn't mean he was really there. His father was always so distance and always somewhere else. It was only during the tea ceremony was he in the moment. He was at a stand still.

* * *

Yuuki didn't go back to the studio as she had planned. She had walked blindly to the cemetery. She felt tears running hot down her cheeks. As soon as she found Aki's grave, her legs gave out from her under her. Trembling, she started to sob.

"Oh Aki, please help me," she cried. "Please help me. Give me a way to go on like this. I need you."

* * *

AN: More complications arise in the next chapter. Now the story that Yuuki tells Tsukushi wasn't typed out on purpose. Because it's slice of past that another one knows about.

My lower back is killing me. I am just updating because I already have the chapter in stock. As for the people who are saying there aren't enough reviews for the story, however I never really asked for reviews. That said the people who do review give quality reviews rather than just the one line of they want to see more. It's quality, not quantity that matters and it shows that they really are enjoying the story. So, thank you to all of the reviewers.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	11. Part Eleven: Spearmint

The Tea Prince

Part Eleven: Spearmint

Shun was in class and was finishing his math exercises, while his teacher was helping other students. He was already bored. Hinata-sensei had moved him next to the window on the front row. He was sitting next to a girl named Eiko. She was trying to do a problem. Shun was bored so he started to poke her with his pencil.

"Stop, Kinomoto-kun," she whined.

"You're doing it wrong," he told her.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted.

Hinata-sensei walked up to them. "What is going on, Kunishima-chan?" she asked.

Eiko said, "It's Kinomoto-kun. He's bothering me."

"Do you need to do more exercises?" asked Hinata-sensei to Shun. "I have stuff from the next level class if you're so bored."

"But she's not doing it right!" insisted Shun. "She carried it wrong!" He was referring to one of the harder addition problems.

Hinata-sensei could see that Shun had a bit of a temper on him. He was just like Nishikado-san in that aspect. "It's my job to point out the mistakes. You're supposed to do your own work and pay attention to that."

"I'm done and it's perfect."

"Kinomoto-san, go outside and stand in the hall," sighed Hinata-sensei. She found it very hard to discipline him. He was really intelligent and creative, and she didn't want to stop him from being like that, but at the same time he could be quite frustrating. She also didn't want to really discipline him after all that had happened to him. She didn't want him to get in trouble with his mother either.

Shun got up from his desk and stomped out of the classroom. He was used to being sent out of classes. He folded his arms over his chest and stared at the wall. A few minutes later, Hinata-sensei came to see him. "Kinomoto-kun, you need to stop doing that."

"She did it wrong. I was trying to help her," said Shun.

"Do I need to speak to your mother about this?" asked Hinata-sensei.

"No," muttered Shun. "She'll get mad."

"Then, I need you to be a good little boy and behave yourself. When you're done with an exercise, please just say so and I'll give you another one."

"Okay," said Shun, feeling rather defeated. "Just don't tell my mama. She's already worried about other things. I don't want her to worry more."

Hinata-sensei softened at this. "Your mama is trying her best. It's just going to take time."

"I don't like it when I hear her running water in the bathroom. She goes in there so she doesn't cry in front of me," said Shun. Hinata-sensei was startled by this and he hastily added, "Please don't tell her I know."

Seeing the distress on his face, Hinata-sensei went down to his level and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I won't tell anyone. You need to talk to her about how you feel. You're a child. You're allowed to be upset and mad."

"But I'm not mad," said Shun. "I just miss my papa."

"I know you do. Why don't you go back inside and I'll give you a book to read instead? Would you rather do that?"

Shun nodded and went back into the classroom as Hinata-sensei followed him inside. She didn't know if she was being overly concerned because he was her student or the son of her friend. Or he was the son of her first love. She wasn't sure. All she knew was that she had to resist the urge to give him a hug whenever he looked the way he did when he confessed how his mother really coped with her grief.

Shun went back to his desk. Hinata-sensei handed him a book from the upper shelf that was more advanced one and the class continued.

* * *

After the cemetery, she decided to go to the hospital where Ichiro started working. He was working at one of the hospitals in Tokyo that was really busy and needed doctors desperately because most of the people were poor and needed help. The nurse at the front desk told her to wait for Ichiro.

"Yuuki, I wasn't expecting to see you," said Ichiro. "What a pleasant surprise."

"May we please go for a walk?" she asked.

Ichiro knew that Yuuki's overly polite tone was hint of trouble. He nodded, "Sure, I can take a break."

They stepped out to the surrounding hospital grounds. "How are things going?" asked Yuuki.

"Fine," answered Ichiro. "I'm used to working under worse conditions. Between all the relief efforts I've worked in South East Asia and Africa, it's practically a luxury being around here. But, what's going on with you?"

"Soujiro showed up at the Doumyouji House as I was signing my will," answered Yuuki.

Ichiro looked shocked. "Seriously?"

Yuuki nodded. "I wouldn't joke around like that. It's not even remotely funny. He knows about Shun. He was demanding a visit."

"How did he find out?"

"I have no idea. Tsukushi didn't tell him anything and he won't even speak to you, so you couldn't tell him."

"What are we going to do now?"

"I have no idea. I just had such a hard time about it."

"What happened? You look like you've been crying."

"That's because I have. I went to see Aki's grave."

They walked around, not knowing that the guard from the Nishikado House had continued following his master's orders. "Maybe, I should just give him what he wants and he'll go on his way," she sighed.

"I wouldn't be too quick to relinquish control if I were you," warned Ichiro. "It's not just him, but my parents who will have to contend with."

Yuuki felt ill at the thought of those cold eyes staring at her again, so much so that she placed her hand over her middle. "They'll probably think that I'm just some gold digger with a claim."

"Or they could take him from you," said Ichiro. "Soujiro isn't getting married any time soon and our younger brother is too young and inexperienced to even be considered for the role of head of the family. I took myself out, so any children I have won't have any claim."

"So my son is valuable for the future of the Nishikado Family?" asked Yuuki.

Ichiro sighed and looked away from her. "I'm not entirely sure or not. I'm not sure what the next move will be. Soujiro has been very impulsive. It's so unlike him. He considers every move he makes."

"Tsukushi is on my side, but her husband is on his. He made an idle threat. A veiled one," said Yuuki. "Your brother said that he is very well connected. He could take me down very easily."

"He won't. He's too traditional. He's tied by old fashion mores," said Ichiro. "Relax. He won't bring embarrassment to the family at such a critical time. He's not officially head of the family yet."

Yuuki stared at Ichiro. In that moment, he had stopped being Ichiro and was Shouichiro. He was the oldest son of the Nishikado House. "I never thought of him as traditional," she said, marveling at how sensitive he was still to the politics of his family.

"That's why I had to get out. It wasn't because they were too old fashioned or traditional. They only care about appearance. Everything about them is just an act. Soujiro is certainly braver and stronger than me to tolerate it because he had no choice."

"You left with nothing. You started from nothing," said Yuuki. "He's the one who's the coward, staying with them. Following them. You were brave enough to stand up for yourself and not give up your dreams. They didn't deserve a son like you."

Ichiro looked at her. "I promise that I'll protect you and Shun. I'll try to the best of my ability to help you."

"I don't need a rescuer or a protector," said Yuuki. "You have done enough for both of us. You saved Shun's life."

"If I had done enough for both you, I would have made sure that things were made right from the start," said Ichiro.

"It wasn't your mistake to fix. Shun isn't a mistake to fix," said Yuuki. "Having you here is just enough. You are the only person in the world that really knows what happened in Kyoto when Shun was born. You were there when I got married. You are family."

"That's how I feel about you and Shun," said Ichiro with a wide smile. "So this fight isn't just about you or Shun. I'm just minor player in it."

"No, but I don't want you to put yourself in harm's way," said Yuuki. "I will handle this, but you are right. You know more about the way these people operate, even if you don't like their tactics, you know how they work."

"So I'm just your battle adviser?"

"You have insider information. Tsukushi is too naïve and has extraordinary luck that her husband doesn't use such tactics. He's even more alert now because of what your brother did. He won't allow anyone to make a fool of him. You have better insight on what your family will do."

"We'll have to wait and see."

"Yes, I feel much better after talking to you, Ichiro. I'd better let you get back to work. I wouldn't want you to be fired before your first week is over," said Yuuki as she gave him a real smile.

Ichiro knew all of her faces. She had seen her at her worst, and then at her best. He was there during her saddest moment, then at her most joyful. He saw her again at another sad moment, feeling heartbroken because of it. He reached out his hand and touched hers. Together they walked back to the hospital hand in hand.

* * *

"So that's where everything stands?" asked Akira. "What a horrible mess you made of things, Soujiro."

"And you used me," added Tsukasa. "You're lucky that I didn't kick your ass right there."

"Don't be sore about being easily duped. He knows your weakness. We all do," said Akira.

"Yeah, we all do," agreed Rui. "So what happens next?"

"I have no idea," snapped Soujiro. "I already said I was sorry, didn't I?"

"You only apologized to Tsukushi!" exclaimed Tsukasa.

"We've been friends our entire lives. My apology to her goes to you, too."

"That's not the same and you know it."

Akira rolled his eyes and looked to the heavens for patience. "Enough. Anyway, remember the most dangerous thing in nature is a mother defending her young."

Soujiro had no response to that. His guard was at the door. He had been ordered to report back as soon as Yuuki and Shun were safely back home so that he could do a full debriefing. "Go ahead and give your report. It's okay. They can listen," he ordered.

"Yes, Nishikado-sama," his guard bowed. "I do have a full report."

"You can skip the part where she was at my house," commanded Tsukasa. "We know what happened there."

The guard looked directly at his master. Soujiro nodded. "After her visit, she went to the cemetery to visit her husband's grave. I couldn't get any closer without her noticing. There is almost no one there at the time of day."

"That's fine," said Soujiro.

"After that she dropped by a hospital. She was visiting with a doctor there."

"A doctor?"

"Yes."

"Do you know the doctor's name?"

"Yes."

"Well, what is it?"

"Nishikado Shouichiro. Kinomoto-san was visiting with your older brother, Nishikado-sama."

* * *

AN: It is interesting to see how the characters interact in the next part. There's more to come. More juicy tidbits about to surface. I found it difficult deciding on whom Shun should tell his secret about knowing his mother's crying to. I figured that Sara was the best choice.

I had a long break, but I am still in pain with my back. It makes it hard to find time to sit down and update. So please tolerate the delays as much as possible. I will try to update the story as often as I can.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	12. Part Twelve: Red Tea

The Tea Prince

Part Twelve: Red Tea

"What the Hell do you mean visiting with my brother? He's not even in the country," exclaimed Soujiro at his feet. "And how does he know Yuuki?"

"This just keeps getting better and better," said Rui quietly. "It's like watching a television program."

"They seemed to know each other well," said the guard. "They held hands as they went back into the hospital. They talked for a bit."

"Did you hear anything?"

"No," said the guard. "I had to stay out of the way. Nishikado-sensei might have noticed me."

Soujiro rubbed his temples. "Great. So they know each other. The two people in the world who are trying to avoid me know each other."

"Looks that way," said Akira almost glibly. "Now the hand holding thing that could mean any number of things."

"Shut up," muttered Soujiro. "Aniki went to school in Kyoto. That's where his medical school was. He didn't really want to stay in Tokyo and face our mother, so he went for school there. Not that I've been keeping track of him. What do you have on my brother?"

"He graduated from medical school a few years ago from Tokyo Medical University. He has lived in Kyoto before. It would coincide with Kinomoto-san's time there. He worked in one of the hospitals there."

"Which one?" asked Soujiro as he pulled up the file. "Is it this one?" He handed the copy that he had of Shun's birth certificate.

"Yes," confirmed the guard.

Soujiro looked at it again. His brother wasn't the doctor who delivered Shun. "This is crazy. He would have just graduated from medical school. He continued going to school even though Otousan said he would have to take over the tea ceremony from him, but Aniki only stayed for as long as he did for our mother's sake. But even then he couldn't take it anymore and got out."

"Maybe he treated Shun," said Rui. "What's Nishikado-sensei's specialty?"

"Pediatrics," answered the guard.

"He might have been Shun's doctor," said Akira quietly.

Soujiro turned and said to his guard, "What I am about to ask you to do is highly unethical and illegal. Mostly unethical. I need you to get a copy of Kinomoto Shun's medical records for me. A complete medical history. Do it by any means necessary and use the expense account. Just use cash."

"Yes, Nishikado-sensei." The guard bowed and left.

Soujiro then glowered at Tsukasa and said, "Don't tell Tsukushi about this."

"Whatever," said Tsukasa with a shrug. "We already agreed that we wouldn't talk about it until there was something to talk about. Yesterday, we had to talk about it. Personally, I'm tired of all this running around. You're only making it worse."

"Imagine if Tsukushi wouldn't let you see Hiroyuki?" asked Soujiro.

Tsukasa said, "I told her the same thing. She agreed with me, but she's trying to protect Yuuki, too. Yuuki needed more time. Her husband is barely cold. She's only thinking about protecting what she has. You're a threat."

"I'm not a threat."

"Not the way she sees it."

Akira interrupted, "Maybe you should contact your brother and see what he thinks. It seems like they know each other."

"They were probably having a meeting like this one," said Rui musingly. "Planning their next move."

Soujiro didn't think of that. Yuuki and Tsukushi might have been doing the same thing as well. He wondered what she would do next. Perhaps the only way he was going to get what he wanted was to go after it. He had another team ready to keep surveillance on Yuuki and Shun the following day, which was Saturday. He wouldn't say what his next move was going to be.

* * *

Yuuki and Ichiro had made plans to take Shun to the zoo. Yuuki didn't say that Ichiro was coming, but Shun was plenty excited. Yuuki was packing up some food for a picnic at the nearby park. She was the only packing part of the lunch; Ichiro had promised to bring the rest.

"I wanna see a panda," declared Shun. "A big roly poly one."

"What else do you want to see?"

"Penguins."

"I think those are in the aquarium. What else?" Yuuki made a mental note to take him to the aquarium next.

"Zebras."

Yuuki laughed. "How about some other animals with color?"

Shun got up from the floor. He was practicing his hiragana. "Can I take Papa's camera? Will they let me take pictures?"

"Which one?"

Shun dashed to his room and came back with an old 35 mm camera. "Lee-san said it was Papa's and that I should use it. He's going to develop the pictures for me. I want to learn to do it, but Lee-san said I was still too little."

"Take as many pictures as you want," said Yuuki. "Pack some extra film."

"Oh," nodded Shun as he ran back to his room with his little backpack. Yuuki had made it. "I already did. I have three extra rolls." He put the camera into the backpack and set it on the table next to the door.

"Do you know how to change the roll?"

"Papa showed me," answered Shun. "I can't show you right now, Mama. I've got some in the camera already."

Yuuki knew that Shun had misbehaved at school. She washed that Hinata-sensei wouldn't be too softhearted with him. Yuuki would prefer an honest report than a sugarcoated one because it would help her discipline him better. Shun had a lot of energy. Yuuki went to him and kissed his head. He looked up at her and beamed. "Again," he demanded with an irresistible grin. Yuuki kissed his forehead and poked his side. Shun shrieked with laughter. They went to the sofa. "Mama," he said as he settled into her arms. "Do you think Papa is watching over us?"

"He is," replied Yuuki. "He provided for us even though he's not here."

Shun still had a hard time coming to grips with the finality of death. Ichiro said that it was normal for children to be like that. "Papa wouldn't want us to be sad," said Shun. "He would want us to be smile and laugh all the time. Just like he did. Remember when we went to the beach? And then it started raining and we were locked out of the car because Papa forgot that he locked the bag in there."

"I remember," laughed Yuuki.

"You were so mad," giggled Shun.

Yuuki remembered that day. Shun just twirled around as the rain came down as Aki tried to get the door open. Yuuki remembered yelling at him for it. Aki didn't feel bad at all. All he did was laugh. He snatched her in his arms and kissed her as the rain came down on them. It was the most amazing kiss. A tug at her heart came, but she didn't cry. It was a beautiful memory. She didn't want to mar it with sadness. She held Shun closer.

"Your papa was a wonderful, silly man," she whispered. "I hope that you'll be as wonderful and silly."

"I'm already silly," said Shun as kissed her cheek. He then yawned.

Yuuki nudged him, "You need to get up and go to bed. You want to get plenty of rest to see the animals tomorrow."

"Okay, Mama," he said as he rubbed his eye with one hand. Yuuki took hold of his other hand and they stood up. She walked to his room and they got him ready for bed. Tonight was the night that she didn't have to bathe him. She might have been able to do it with little resistance, but she was just as tired.

After tucking Shun in for the night, Yuuki went to her room. She changed her clothes and got into bed. She was still sleeping just on her side. She turned and looked at the empty side. She didn't cry. She fell asleep dreaming of a kiss in the rain. She dreamed of the wonderful, silly man who had given her countless moments of happiness. At least for the moment, her prayer at Aki's grave had been answered by Shun.

* * *

Ichiro was no fool when it came to dealing with people, especially with the so called upper class. He knew that it was risky to be seen in public with Yuuki and Shun, but he didn't care. He was going to be there for them. Now, he wasn't really a cook. He only knew how to make instant ramen, so he ended up ordering some food from a good restaurant and packing it. He had a feeling that he was being watched. He wasn't about to dismiss it as simple paranoia.

As soon as he had the food, he made his way to the zoo. He soon realized that his paranoia was warranted. He recognized at least two guards from his parents' house. They were trying very hard not to be seen, but he carried on like he hadn't seen anything. When he got to the zoo, he saw Shun practically hopping up and down with anticipation.

"Let's go in, Mama," he urged his mother. "Before all the animals go away."

"Shun, the animals aren't going anywhere," laughed Yuuki. "Just a bit longer, okay?"

"I wanna go in now," whined Shun. "Everyone else is already going in."

Yuuki spotted Ichiro who was walking briskly towards them. "Look, who's come to see the animals with us today," Yuuki told Shun.

Shun spotted Ichiro. His eyes lit up as he ran up to him. "Ojisan!" he shouted.

Ichiro gave him a hug and said, "You were going to go in without me?"

"I didn't know you were coming. Mama said to wait," replied Shun.

"Then why are we still out here? Shouldn't we be in there?" asked Ichiro, taking Shun's hand.

"Let's go in," agreed Yuuki with a smile that rivaled the sun. She hadn't taken the time to straighten her hair, but she had it pinned up just the same.

Ichiro saw the guards, trailing behind them, readying to advance upon them. He calmly walked into the zoo with Shun. "So what animals do you want to see?"

"A panda!" declared Shun with a grin very much like his mother's.

* * *

AN: I really want to include Shun in every chapter. Ichiro is the inside man for Yuuki. Aki is like a ghost, but he's more of a protector of his family. This is one of the shorter chapters in the entire story. Just short and sweet. I hope everyone enjoys it.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	13. Part Thirteen: Tieguanyin

The Tea Prince

Part Thirteen: Tieguanyin

Shun's excitement was catching as Yuuki and Ichiro were running after him. He was practically zipping all over the place. He had his camera out and was snapping pictures. It was a good thing because Shun unwittingly helped keep the men that were following them busy. However, Ichiro remained on alert.

Ichiro figured out that there were two teams of two following them. It was rather stupid because seeing single men without families wandering around a zoo full of children was rather obvious. Ichiro kept up appearances that everything was fine. He had his uncle duties like picking up Shun and carrying him on his shoulders, and indulging his every whim while Yuuki objected.

"When are we going to see the zebra?" asked Shun as Ichiro handed him a crepe.

Yuuki answered, "Let's take a break." She guided her son to a bench.

"I thought I was in shape," sighed Ichiro, taking a seat next to Shun.

"When do you think his energy is going to taper off?" asked Yuuki.

"Didn't you ask me that question before?" asked Ichiro.

Shun was relishing the crepe. He had started with the strawberries, eating them with his fingers. He made loud noises sucking his fingers. Yuuki pulled out a tissue and started wiping Shun's hand. "You said at seven or eight," replied Yuuki.

"Mama, I can't eat," said Shun. Yuuki released his hand.

"That was just an estimate," chuckled Ichiro. "I think it will take a bit longer."

"Mama," interrupted Shun. "I need to go to the toilet."

"Sure," said Yuuki.

"I wanna go to the one for men," insisted Shun. When his father was alive, he took Shun there. He was too old to go to the ladies' room with Yuuki.

She gave Ichiro a pleading look. "I'll take him," he automatically said.

"Give me that," said Yuuki, referring to the crepe. "And your bag."

Shun took his hand, saying," I'll carry it."

"Let's go," said Ichiro.

Yuuki walked them to the bathrooms, but they waited outside. She ate some of the crepe while she looked around. Things had gotten too quiet since her last talk with Nishikado. As she had discussed with Ichiro, she had a feeling she was being watched. Ichiro agreed and that way he had insisted on joining them at the zoo.

Yuuki hated to trouble people with her problems. Tsukushi and Ichiro had been very supportive. She was protecting her son. Tsukushi was doing it to protect her. Ichiro was the one who knew most of what had transpired, but he still didn't know everything. Yuuki felt bad for them and almost selfish.

"Mama!" exclaimed Shun as he came up to her. "The toilets and sinks turn on by themselves!"

"Sorry," said Ichiro. "He was trying to get them all to run at the same time."

Yuuki looked at Shun's shirt. It was wet. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing. "I hope it was the sinks," she said, "and not the toilets."

"Ojisan said we can try the toilets next time," Shun happily told her.

Yuuki glanced at Ichiro and said, "Did he now?"

"I told you not to tell her," scolded Ichiro as he ruffled Shun's hair. "Now she won't let us."

"Oh," said Shun. "Can we still do it, Mama?"

"No," said Yuuki instantly. She said to Ichiro, "I've always wondered what goes on in the men's room, but now I don't think what to know."

"A wise decision," agreed Ichiro as they started laughing.

Shun said, "My crepe, Mama." Yuuki gave it back to him. "Hey! You ate some of it."

"And it was delicious," teased Yuuki as she took some of the whipped cream.

* * *

Soujiro got the report that they had gone to the zoo. This time he had an additional report on his brother. Was it possible that he knew about Shun and didn't tell him? It certainly didn't help that they hadn't spoken in years. Shouichiro had been cut off entirely from the family's finances. Not that it mattered because their mother had paid for his medical school despite their father's total resistance to it. Shouichiro became a pediatrician. He had started at a hospital in Kyoto; the same one where Shun was born. Then, Shouichiro traveled for five years. Now he was at one of the poorest hospitals in Tokyo.

As far as Soujiro could tell, Shouichiro lived not too far from the hospital and he didn't make a lot, but lived comfortably. Shouichiro wasn't married and had no known children. All Soujiro knew was that he was ambivalent about Shouichiro being around Yuuki and Shun. On the one hand, it was a bit comforting to know that Shouichiro was looking out for them. On the other hand, Soujiro thought that it was his place that his brother was occupying.

Shun's medical file and come. Soujiro opened to take a look. The first part wasn't at all what he had imagined. Shun had been born three weeks early and it was a very traumatic for both him and Yuuki. Shun had been breached with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. He had to spend eleven days in an incubator in the intensive care unit of the nursery. His attending physician was Shouichiro. Some of the chart had complicated medical kanji that Soujiro couldn't understand. Shun's health gradually improved. Shouichiro stopped being Shun's doctor after he had joined Doctors Without Borders.

Soujiro was impressed even more with Yuuki's strength. She was the one who had to endure it all alone. Soujiro remembered when Hiroyuki was born and how they had gathered to wait. He had fretted and worried to his surprise as if Hiroyuki was his own. He picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello Matsuoka Residence," greeted an older woman's voice on the other end.

"Hello, I was looking for Matsuoka Yuuki," he said.

"My daughter? She doesn't live her. She hasn't lived here for years."

"I wanted to discuss something about her son."

There was a very long pause. "I have never seen her son. I only have her work number, but she never returns my calls."

"I am sorry," said Soujiro. The pain in her voice was palpable. "I am sorry to have troubled you."

Soujiro heard the audible click when Yuuki's mother hung up. There was a stigma that came with having an unwed teenaged pregnant daughter. Why hadn't Yuuki told him at the time? What would he have done? What would have happened if both of she and Shun had died when he was born? What if only one of them had survived?

All those years ago, Soujiro had attempted to use the "cruel-to-be-kind" tactic in regards to Yuuki. Yet, he hadn't backed off. His parents would never accepted Shun just as Yuuki's parents had done. Would he had made a good father? He wasn't even given a choice.

Soujiro replayed that chance encounter with Shun. He was positive that the boy in the school yard was Shun. It was the way the boy talked and caught the ball. He was an extraordinary child. He wasn't just saying that because Shun was his son.

The phone rang, interrupting Soujiro's thoughts. "Nishikado-sensei, you asked me to remind you about attending the opening of the new gardens," said his assistant.

"Yes, thank you," he sighed, then hung up.

It was a joint project that all the of the F4 had worked on. It was the new botanical gardens that they were opening for the public. Soujiro had been less than focused on his work. In fact that was the project that Tsukasa and he were working on the day he had talked to Yuuki. Work was a welcome distraction from his situation.

He got ready and put on a suit. His driver drove him to the gardens. On the way, his phone rang. "What do you have for me?"

"They're on the move, heading towards the park," answered his guard.

Soujiro asked, "Which one? There are lots of parks."

"The one closest to the zoo, next to the new gardens," reports the guard.

"Thank you. Keep tabs on them," said Soujiro. He closed his phone. He started laughing. It was amazing how fate worked. When he got there, Rui was already there having drove his car over rather than use a driver. He walked up to him.

"You seem to be in a good mood," observed Rui.

"And you seem well rested," said Soujiro.

It wasn't just an opening for business people, but for families as well. Soujiro was counting on that. A limo pulled up with Tsukasa and Tsukushi. Hiroyuki was at home. Akir arrived last in his limo. Neither Tsukushi nor Soujiro acknowledged each other.

"Let's get this over with," said Tsukasa.

Akira said, "Yeah, the sooner the better."

"I need my nap," said Rui, which was just another excuse.

'I've got to be somewhere else soon," said Soujiro, checking his Rolex.

Tsukushi smiled, "You four have to show more enthusiasm. There are a lot of people here to see you. Why don't we make the best of it?"

"Spoken like a mother," said Akira as he shook his head.

Soujiro was paying attention as they walked up to the stage to make the announcements. All he could about how close they were. He looked around at all the people. Most of them were families. He didn't really look at Tsukushi because she was Tsukasa's wife. Tsukasa was the only one out of the four of them who had brought a family member with him. Soujiro saw how Tsukasa took Tsukushi's hand. She had a calming effect on him. Everyone knew it.

Soujiro was the tea master. He knew the importance of a once in a lifetime chance. Those were the experiences that he re-created for others. Soujiro thought that was what he was looking for. That once in a life time chance. He thought that going from one woman to another was going to get him where he wanted to go. He wasn't so sure anymore where he was going or what he really wanted. Maybe that was why he wanted to see Shun.

He was a fool. He let chances that were given to him slip through his fingers. He wasn't about to let Shun slip through his fingers. He glanced at Tsukasa who was making the first announcement. Tsukushi wasn't going to say anything. She hadn't planned to. She was standing beside her husband.

It wasn't just Shun that Soujiro had to consider. It was Yuuki. He would have to make things right with her if he had any hope at all.

* * *

AN: I want to move the plot along as much as possible. No cliffhanger this time. See, I can do more than just a cliffhanger. It's more fun with cliffhangers, but they don't always fit like in this instance. What will they do next?

I have read the reviews, which are insightful as always. I thought I was dragging things out a bit and I always worry about pacing. So, thank you to the reviewers for the reviews. This story may not generate as many reviews as people would assume, but the quality of the reviews are wonderful. The reason why I don't ask for reviews is because I don't want to get just a one line that says for me to update. That's not helpful at all.

Also the tea name is a Chinese variety.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	14. Part Fourteen: Hibiscus

The Tea Prince

Part Fourteen: Hibiscus

After the zoo, Yuuki, Shun, and Ichiro went to the park next to the new gardens. Ichiro was well aware of the security detail. He didn't want to alarm Yuuki. Shun was an empathetic child, who fed off most of the emotions of people, especially his mother. Ichiro had rarely seen a more sensitive child. Although, he shouldn't have been so surprised. He would never tell Yuuki how much Shun was like Soujiro.

When they settled for lunch, Ichiro had noticed the security detail had changed. There were even more of them. Shun had settled down for a bit to get some rice and tofu. Ichiro excused himself, saying he had to check in with the hospital. He had decided that it was time to take a proactive approach. He was hoping that the guards were supposed to be following him, too.

Sure enough, he was followed as soon as he went into one of the public restrooms. Luckily, there was no one else around. He didn't go into one of the stalls. He was faster than the one guard, surprising him by waiting for him to come in.

"I know how you guys work," said Ichiro.

"Nishikado-sama," bowed the guard.

"It's sensei. I earned that title," corrected Ichiro. "Why are you following us? Did he give you orders to?"

The guard wouldn't lift his head. He was too frightened to. "Not you, Nishikado-sensei. We are supposed to protect the woman and the boy, but you were with them. We had to report back to Nishikado-sama."

"He's here, isn't he? That's why there are more of you? You're here because he's here. The big commotion is about the opening of those gardens. I overheard some of them talking about it. He and his friends are here. Tell him that I want to talk to him privately. Tell him that if he wants to see Shun, then he'll have to talk to me first."

"Yes, Nishikado-sensei."

"Go."

The guard bowed even lower and then backed out of the restroom. Ichiro left the restroom. He was confident that Soujiro would do exactly what he said. After all, he knew his younger brother better than most people did.

He returned to the picnic all smiles. Yuuki wondered out loud, "Why are there so many people? What's going on?"

"The gardens just opened," replied Ichiro.

Yuuki said, "I'd like to see them. Inspiration is wherever you can find it."

"I want to go to the playground," said Shun in between bites.

"Why don't we do both?" suggested Ichiro. "We'll go to the playground, and then we'll visit the gardens. You've still got at least a roll of film left, Shun-kun."

Shun nodded. Ichiro looked at him. He couldn't see much of Yuuki, but he had his mother's strength. Ichiro couldn't help, but think of the times he had watched over him. He was like his own son. They were his family when he thought he had none. When he thought he hadn't deserve one after turning his back on sixteen generations of tradition. As far as he was concerned, Shun was the future.

He watched Shun doing something that he thought was a bit familiar and a bit unsettling. Shun had the cup from his insulated bottle in his hands. He was swirling it about in deep concentration. It looked like he was trying to figure out how to keep it swirling without spilling a drop.

"Shun, stop that and drink it," said Yuuki. She was bothered by it more than Ichiro was. Shun stopped immediately and drank from his cup.

* * *

Soujiro had just done his speech when his cell phone went off. He disappeared backstage when he saw the text message. He wasn't shocked that his brother had cornered one of the guards. Shouichiro wasn't a fool. However, Soujiro wasn't that thrilled to have the corners turned on him. Soujiro dialed the number that he had for Shouichiro.

"Hello," greeted his brother.

The brothers sounded quite similar on the phone. "You wanted to speak with me, Aniki. You've got my attention."

"I'll call you back," said Shouichiro, promptly hung up.

Soujiro began to pace back and forth. The others joined him. Akira asked him, "What are you waiting for?"

"A very important phone call," he answered. His phone rang. He glanced at his phone it was a map of the park that his security detail had sent him. It was followed by a message from Shouichiro. "I have to go," Soujiro announced.

"Something strange is going on," said Tsukasa, but he made no move to really stop Soujiro who had took off walking in a very fast pace.

As soon as he was out of sight, he took off running. Soujiro was headed towards the playground of the park. He saw that one of the guards was with Shouichiro. Soujiro didn't know what to think. He hadn't really thought about how he would feel seeing his brother after all those years.

Shouichiro was the tallest out of the Nishikado brothers. His hair was cropped short and his glasses were a bit different. He had plastic frames before, but now they were think metallic frames. It was a bit of a switch for him to be dressed in jeans and rumpled shirt, while Soujiro was in an Armani suit.

"You didn't have to run all the way here, Soujiro-kun," said Shouichiro with some amusement.

Soujior didn't even realize he was catching his breath. He wasn't out of breath from the sprint, but from the moment. "Aniki," he said. He stopped because he was unsure of what to say.

"That's all you have to say to me after almost nine years?" asked Shouichiro.

"Leave us," ordered Soujiro to the guard, who made a very speedy exit.

"It's good to see you, Soujiro-kun. You've come a long way," observed Shouichiro.

Soujiro felt a surge of anger well up in him. He exploded, not caring about the public display, "You left for nine years! I had to deal with all of it after you left! You kept Shun and Yuuki a secret from me! Why the Hell are you here now?!"

Shouichiro had expected it. He had deserved it. However, he didn't take all of it willing it. "Don't pretend that you had no choice," said Shouichiro. "We all have a choice. You just weren't strong enough to live with the consequences. And that's also my reason for not telling you anything."

"I know what happened when he was born," said Soujiro. "I honestly didn't even know until I read it. I shouldn't have had to read it in a report." He added almost spitefully. "You also have horrible handwriting. Did you learn that in medical school?"

Shouichiro ignored that last bit. He said, "Just leave them be. You don't like things in the family business as it stands. Why would you want to drag them into it?"

"He's my son," said Soujiro softly.

"How do you know that for sure?" challenged Shouichiro.

"Why would she be so intent on keeping me away from him, if he wasn't?"

"What kind of mother would she be if she allowed a stranger who she didn't trust around her child?"

"This isn't a damn game, Shouichiro," snapped Soujiro.

"No, it's not," retorted Shouichiro. Soujiro had the urge to strike Shouichiro down. "You want to hit me? Would that make you feel better?"

This was just utterly frustrating. If there was one thing that Soujiro couldn't stand from people were people who assumed they knew him so well. Shouichiro knew him all to well and knew exactly which buttons to push to get a reaction from him. It was always like that ever since they were children. "It's not fair. I'm where you were supposed to be and you're were I should be," muttered Soujiro.

"You haven't told anyone about this have you?" asked Shouichiro.

"Just a few people."

"What about Okaasan and Otousan?"

"No. Of course not."

"Good. Just forget everything and enjoy your life."

"That's just it. I can't. You said that you would at least get me a meeting with Shun. I'm your brother. You could at least show me some compassion. Don't bait me only to tell me that I can't even meet him," said Soujiro.

Shouichiro sighed. "Have you asked yourself why it's so important to you? Why do you want to meet him so badly? Is it because you were denied and now you're acting like a child who only wants something because you can't have it? I am your brother, Soujiro-kun, and I know you. Probably better than anyone else. You can't be a father only when you want to be. Shun's already lost his father. You don't' remember Aki, do you?"

"Should I?"

"He was my friend in Kyoto. We used to stay in his family's inn. He was closer to my age so we played together. He adored Shun and worshipped Yuuki. Do you honestly think that you deserve them?"

Leave it to Shouichiro to tell Soujiro what he didn't want to hear. Shouichiro was unyielding. "Tell me the truth. Is he my son?" Shouichiro was taking too long to answer him. He demanded, "It's a simple yes or no. Tell me!"

"Yes," replied Shouichiro plainly. "I found out when Yuuki wanted to switch doctors. It was my first hospital. I couldn't accept her changing Shun's doctor without a good reason. I took it personally. That's when she told me."

Soujiro raked his fingers through his hair. "Really?"

"Yes, I didn't believe her at first. She got defensive about it. So I did a DNA test using my own sample. Cheek swabs. The lab results came back, showing a strong match. Not enough to be his father, but not enough to rule me out as a close relative. I was mad."

"You're not the only one," muttered Soujiro.

"Not at her, baka, but at you. All I could think about was how irresponsible you were. You got a girl pregnant and left her to fend for yourself. I was called up when the labor took a horrible turn. It was a mess. It was also the first time I ever saw a C-section in my life. So I was pissed. I was ready to call you up and force you to do something, but Yuuki stopped me. She pleaded with me not to say anything to you or anyone. I guess I just broke that promise."

"Did she say why? Did she say why she didn't want me to know? If I had know, I would have been there."

"I told her that, but she told me also what happened between the two of you. She didn't want you to give up your future. I think she might have still been in love with you, but that was changing. I saw it happening. All that love she gave to Shun. She knew the scandal it would all cause. She didn't want Shun to be in the middle of all that. She said also that you didn't seem happy. I couldn't agree with her more. Happy people don't come out of our family. At least not without a fight."

"What do you think our parents would have done?" asked Soujiro.

"They would not have been pleased by this. They were getting on about me getting married and producing heirs before I left."

"Shun is the heir. I'd make sure of it."

"Not legitimately. Yuuki won't even let him have any tea. Just right now she was bothered by him swirling juice in a cup. Also bloodlines matter, Yuuki's a commoner. Aki's family gave her such a hard time over that among other things. What makes you think our parents would make it easy on her? Or Shun? What will you do? Would you just take Shun and leave her with nothing?"

"I'll do whatever it takes."

"I've had year to think about it. This is the best solution. No one gets hurt and Shun is happy. I'm not a parent, but I work with children. I've seen many parents who love their children who have nothing, but they're happy because they're children are happy."

"Tell Yuuki that she doesn't have to worry. I would never do anything to hurt Shun. I also want to speak to her directly."

"She doesn't want to speak to you. She said that implied you want to do something to her."

"I was angry, surprised, and frustrated. Look we'll even make it formal. She can have her lawyer there."

"Yuuki doesn't really have one on retainer, Soujiro-kun."

"Just tell her that. She'll know what I mean. And you'll need to be there, too. Please."

"Who else?"

"No one else. It'll be you three against me."

"I'll see what I can do. I'll call you from the hospital. Or call my hospital. I can't make any promises."

Soujiro nodded. "Can I at least see him?" he asked.

Shouichiro nodded. "They're in the playground. Try not to look to obvious. There are mothers around here who would claw your eyes out if they think you'll do anything to their children."

Soujiro watched a bit further back as Shouichiro went to join them. He saw Yuuki chasing Shun who was laughing and so cute. Yuuki was so lively. Her hair was natural and curly; she pinned it half up. She was laughing as well. Now that was the girl that Soujiro remembered.

"Ojisan!" declared Shun as he raced up to Shouichiro and clamped his arms around his uncle's leg. "I missed you."

"I was only gone for a couple of minutes," Shouichiro told him.

"Then why do I feel like I've ran a marathon?" asked Yuuki as staggered up to him.

Shouichiro retorted, "That's because you're out of shape and you have an overactive child." He said to Shun, "I can't feel my leg. Let go."

"I'm not letting go," said Shun. "I want you to stay."

Shouichiro looked at Yuuki who shrugged. "You said I was out of shape. I'm not helping you. Get him off yourself."

"Now that's so immature. What kind of mother are you? I can't feel my foot now," chuckled Shouichiro. Yuuki laughed at him. "Don't stand there laughing." Shouichiro knew what to do to get Shun off, so he poked him under his arms.

Shun giggled and whined, "No fair! It tickles!"

His uncle picked up and give him a kiss on the forehead. Soujiro felt tightness in his chest. "Sheesh, Soujiro, don't take off like that!" exclaimed Akira, who came up behind him.

"Shh," whispered Soujiro.

Akira wasn't quiet because of Soujiro. He stunned into silence. He saw Shun with Shouichiro and Yuuki. He looked at Shun, then at Soujiro. "So this was the meeting that was so important? Do you remember Shizuka's birthday party? The one where she announced that she wasn't going to be an heiress anymore?"

"I don't think that anyone's ever forgotten it."

"Tsukushi introduced Yuuki to you for the first time. She warned Yuuki to not even look at you because she'll get pregnant. Who knew she'd be right."

Soujiro glared at him. "Like there's no chance that this couldn't happen to you."

"It's been a while since I've seen your brother. Anyone else looking at them would think he's his father." That feeling in Soujiro's chest got tighter. Yuuki took Shun's hand and he took Shouichiro's hand and they left the park. Shun was swinging back and forth between them. They did look like a family.

"Are you all right?" asked Akira with concern.

"I will be," answered Soujiro. "I've got to make things right first."

* * *

AN: This chapter ran a bit long because of the dialogue. I think that there is some progress. I like Shouichiro as I have written him for this story. I wanted to get this chapter out before Christmas, but I kind of forgot. There a couple more chapters that are ready to go. Thanks for all of your reviews and I hope that everyone had great happy holidays. Happy New Year to Everyone!

By the way, the title for this particular chapter is a type of tea. I've had floral teas before including rose as well. I just wanted to use that because of the gardens that were mentioned.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	15. Part Fifteen: Sencha

The Tea Prince

Part Fifteen: Sencha

The next morning was Monday. Soujiro woke up early the following morning. His assistant was already there. "Your mother called from Kyoto. She will be returning later this week," his assistant announced.

"I was wondering when she'd be coming back. Any word on my father returning?" asked Soujiro.

"No, but Milady will be returning briefly. She will go back to Kyoto by the following week," the assistant added.

"Is that it?" asked Soujiro.

"One of the guards said that he needs to give him you his report. He's been waiting."

"Send him in."

The assistant bowed and left the room. The guard came in. "There is nothing to really report other than they have returned to their regular schedule. The child was dropped off at school. Also, did you know that his teacher is Hinata Sara?"

Soujiro didn't know that. He sat up a bit. "What? Why didn't you report that before? You're supposed to be investigating everything?" Was it possible that all the people in his life that he did wrong to had gotten together and formed some kind of support group? Of late, Soujiro had a chance to take a look back at all the things he had done. It was like all of his mistakes were coming back to bite him in the ass.

"So, you want to get a background check on the child?"

"No," muttered Soujiro. He didn't want information on Shun gathered and delivered to him. He wanted to get to know the boy himself. It didn't seem right for him to just read reports about his own son like that.

He had other things to consider. His mother was coming. He didn't even wonder why his father chose to remain in Kyoto. In fact, his father hadn't called in a while. He thought about Shouichiro who was so happy being himself and how unhappy he was trying to please their parents. Maybe, his brother was right.

A call came on the phone. "Yes?" he asked his assistant.

"There's a call from a hospital. It's a nurse."

"Put her through," ordered Soujiro as he gestured for the guard to get out. He left after bowing to Soujiro.

"Hello Soujiro-kun," said Shouichiro as Soujiro grabbed the receiver. Then he heard his brother say to the nurse, "Thank you, Yamaguchi-san. How are you?"

"Fine. What did Yuuki say?"

"You must be serious because you can't even do the normal pleasantries and small talk. I haven't talked to her yet. Shun was a bit difficult when we got back. He gets like that when he's tired. Reminds me of you when you were that age. Of course, Okaasan never really wanted to deal with it. But Yuuki got him to calm down and take a nap. She was tired, too, so was I. I left after that."

"Like you were the perfect child," scoffed Soujiro. "Do you always spend so much time with them?"

"I try to as much as possible, but with work and all I don't get to spend as much time as I'd like. You know how it is. Yuuki sacrificed a lot to spend time with him and Aki did the same. They worked on alternating schedules to make sure that at least one of them was with Shun. Shun's like a baby duckling. He likes to trail after his mother. He still hides behind her when he's shy."

"Our mother is nothing like that," said Soujiro. "She's coming back this weekend and then back to Kyoto by next week."

"Don't tell her anything."

"I'm not planning to."

"She means well, Soujiro-kun. It's just that she and Otousan have always been fighting each other. Wait…she's been going to Kyoto?"

"Yes. At Otousan's request. Or so she says."

"Don't you think that's sort of odd? I don't think he's ever sent for her before."

"I didn't really think about it. I just like her gone."

Shouichiro heard the hard edge on Soujiro's voice. He decided not to press him further. "I have to go. I have an appointment with a two year old this morning. Vaccinations. I'll see you soon."

"Yes, I look forward it," said Soujiro. He thought of something and said, "Don't tell Yuuki I want to meet with her. I'll take care of it. Just show up please." He hung up before Shouichiro could say anything else and stood up to look at the rock garden. He used to play there all the time. He also hid there to get away from his parents arguing. His parents were always fighting. He could hardly remember a time when they weren't fighting. Soujiro didn't want Shun to be in the middle of that. He didn't want to fight with Yuuki. He picked up his phone again and made a phone call.

* * *

Yuuki was working on the dresses for the magazine shoot along with the other outfits that she had on schedule. She had many meetings to attend as well. It was a very busy Monday and it was only going to get busier with the fabric buying trip that was coming up. She had made plans to take Shun with her to Hong Kong because she had to come up with something for Tokyo's Fashion Week.

For the first time, Yuuki was going to be showing there. It was an exciting opportunity and it was months away. She felt nervous about the whole idea, but it was something that she had spent years working towards. She had assisted in one Milan Fashion Week when she worked one of the prestigious fashion houses there. It was a really learning experience, so it wasn't like she didn't know what to expect and wasn't prepared for it. It was going to take extensive planning.

It was going to make or break her career. She wished that her husband had been there to see it. He was her own personal cheerleader and support. He made her believe that she could do anything and be anything she wanted to be. She could hear his voice guiding her on, telling her that it was going to be fantastic. She would have to spend the money to go all out on it.

Not that Yuuki had a lack of ideas. The problem was finding just the right things to work with. It was hard to narrow it all down and come up with a specific theme. The phone rang and Ishida-san picked it up. "Hello Yuuki Aki Studios," she said.

Yuuki wasn't paying as much attention as she worked on the sketch. "Kinomoto-san, it's Doumyouji-san."

Yuuki nodded and picked up, "Hello Tsukushi."

"Hello Yuuki. I just wanted to tell you that I got off the phone with Nishikado-san," said Tsukushi.

Yuuki stiffened up a bit. "What did he want?"

"He wants to meet with you and me. I didn't give him an answer yet, but he didn't sound as demanding as he did before."

"What should I do?"

"He brought up an interesting point. He said that he didn't know why you never said anything to him or me. I didn't press you for details, but I'm curious myself."

"You're supposed to be my best friend. How could you take his side over mine?"

"I've known him for almost ten years. You left for eight years and said nothing. Not one word to me. I would have helped you. You know that. Nishikado-san wants to make things right. He's willing to try. He has changed or he's trying to. Just come to lunch tomorrow. I'll be there and I'll back you up. I promise."

Tsukushi's voice sounded strained like she knew she was losing a fight. Yuuki sighed. "He's not going to stop and go away, is he?"

"No, it doesn't look like it."

"Then, yes, I'll meet with him, if only to stop this."

"Great, I'll let him know that you've agreed to meet with him. Meet me at the sushi restaurant we met at before. I'll see you then. Don't worry. It will be all right."

"I hope so," said Yuuki as she hung up. She sat still for a moment before going back to work.

* * *

The following day Yuuki felt ill after dropping off her son at school before going back to work for a few hours. A car came by from Tsukushi to pick her up. It seemed that she was worried about Yuuki getting cold feet. Yuuki's assistants were a bit worried because she had been so quiet, even more than usual.

When she pulled up to the restaurant, she saw Shouichiro waiting outside for her. "Hello Ichiro," she said. "What are you doing here?"

He stood up straighter as he said, "Soujiro called me to come. He said that you needed the back up."

"I see," said Yuuki. "I thought that Tsukushi was going to be here."

"I am here," said Tsukushi as she walked up to them. She had a brief case in hand. She was dressed rather formally. "I thought it best that I come looking like a lawyer. I don't think we've been formally introduced," she said to Shouichiro.

"No, we haven't," he said. "My name is Nishikado Shouichiro. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, I'm Doumyouji Tsukushi. It's a pleasure to meet you, too." They bowed to each other.

Yuuki normally would have done the introductions, but she had to save her strength and she was going to need it because Soujiro was already waiting for them. "When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago," he answered.

"You said the meeting was at noon," said Tsukushi.

"I know, but I wanted to get here early," said Soujiro. "Why don't we settle down and have something to eat?"

The table was a large circle. Tsukushi and Shouichiro took the seats on either side of Soujiro, leaving Yuuki to take the seat directly across from him. She sat down and looked right at him. "I'd rather not waste any time. Unlike you three, I have a business to run, so whatever you have to say, please just say it," she told him.

"The reason why I invited you all here is because I just wanted us to talk about Shun in a non-threatening environment. You have the advantage. I'm here without any real allies."

Yuuki glanced at Shouichiro. "I wouldn't say that."

"Actually, I'm on Shun's side. Not on either of your sides," said Shouichiro. "I want what's best for him."

"I think that's a point that all of us can agree on," said Tsukushi.

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions," said Yuuki in English.

"Are you saying that you think I'm the devil?" asked Soujiro.

Yuuki leaned forward a bit, retorting, "It's a matter of who you ask. You're not getting my son. I don't blame, you, Ichiro. You wouldn't be the man I think you are if you didn't try to do the right thing even if it hurts. That's the one thing that really separates you two."

Shouichiro said, "Thanks. I think."

"What happened? What made you runaway?" asked Soujiro.

"Yes, I'd like to know myself," added Tsukushi. She could see Yuuki's hands clenched into fists on her lap. "I want to help you. I want to understand. Your sister told me that you weren't coming home. She wouldn't say why at the time."

"Twenty-six million yen," said Yuuki plainly as she focused her eyes onto Soujiro. Her voice was steady. She was tired. She was tired of fighting it all.

"What?" asked Soujiro.

"Ask your mother about it. Ask her about the twenty-six million yen," she answered. "Because that's what she said that Shun's life was worth."

* * *

AN: I alternated Shouichiro's name depending on the context. Twenty-six million yen translates to roughly a quarter of a million dollars American as of writing this chapter. The rates do change daily. Sorry, but I accidentally loaded the wrong chapter. _ I was distracted.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	16. Part Sixteen: Keemun

The Tea Prince

Part Sixteen: Keemun

Soujiro's eyes never wavered from Yuuki. He asked, "What do you mean ask her about twenty-six million yen?"

Tsukushi understood it perfect. She stood up and announced, "I think we'll have to do this another time. Come on, Yuuki"

"WAIT!" roared Soujiro. Yuuki was still seated. "What do you mean that's what she thought Shun's life was worth?!"

"It's been eight years. You should have gotten married by now and had a family of your own. You can't have him. He's mine. Your mother already paid for him," said Yuuki.

Shouichiro laughed, but it was utterly humorless as he said, "The old hag knew. She knew all along. Don't you see, Soujiro? She knew. I was wondering how you were able to settle the medical bills. There's the answer."

"You took the money?" asked Soujiro.

"Yes," answered Yuuki. "Ask her. Tell her, I'll give her back her money. My son is worth more than twenty-six million yen. That's all I have to say. Tsukushi, we're leaving. Don't try to stop me, Nishikado-san. Or else everything that your mother paid for will be ruined." She got to her feet and didn't say anything further.

Tsukushi didn't exactly run after her. She looked at Soujiro. He nodded and she went after Yuuki. He was too floored to say anything at that moment. "I thought I heard everything, but I didn't expect this," said Shouichiro.

"She took the money," said Soujiro.

"You're worried about that?" demanded Shouichiro. "Are you going to be mad at her for that?"

This was almost too much for Soujiro to process. He was seething with rage at the moment. He was just so furious at the whole situation. Shouichiro saw it. He had never seen his brother so angry before. "It's all her fault. She did this," he whispered.

"Yuuki didn't do anything really wrong. She did what she had to do at the time," said Shouichiro in a placating tone.

"I'm not talking about Yuuki!" exploded Soujiro. "I'm talking about our mother!"

"Okay, just checking. Calm down," said Shouichiro hastily. "We're in a public place. People can hear you."

"I can make a scene if I want!"

"All right. Go right ahead. Tell the world what our messed up family did, but remember what you said. You'd make things right. I don't think this is how you should go about doing that."

"I should just walk away from all of it. You did it. I could do it."

"You're a gifted tea master. Better than I would have ever been, even I knew better than to stay. It won't get you what you want. There is another reason why I've been so helpful. You're only really thinking about Shun. I'm thinking about Yuuki."

Soujiro glanced at his brother. He asked, "How do you feel about her, Aniki?"

"She's the strongest woman I have ever met. I can see why you were attracted to her in the first place," replied Shouichiro. His expression was unreadable. "How do you feel about her?"

"I'm not sure," answered Soujiro.

"At least it's an honest answer," said Shouichiro with a kind smile.

* * *

Tsukushi and Yuuki walked a long time before the latter said anything. "Is this what you do with your clients? I know that lawyers charge by the hour. I guess if they just choose to say nothing, you can just keep charging them," she said.

"Most of my cases are pro bono," said Tsukushi. "I do get a salary because I'm in house legal counsel for the Doumyouji Corporation as well as for the others."

"Wouldn't this be a conflict of interest then?"

"No, I've never really had to do any legal work for Nishikado-san."

"Until now."

"Do you want to know what happened? I mean everything."

"Only if you want to tell me."

"I've already told you so much."

"I've got all afternoon. I want to help you, even if it's just listening to you. You already told me about how hard it was to have Shun on your own. And if you want me to do something, I will."

"You said that Tsukasa's mother was the coldest, cruelest person you had ever met, but you seem to get along with her."

"I saw her at a very weak moment. In the end, we compromised. We had to because Tsukasa is uncompromising. At one point, the idea was thrown around that I should have his child, but we never had to go that far."

"As far as I am concerned, I already got the best part of Nishikado Soujiro. And he's right now in school causing mischief for his teacher and classmates."

"Are you angry at them?"

"No. I'm not. I can understand why his mother did what she had to do. I can almost respect her for protecting her son, but I can't abide by her tactics."

"Was she protecting her son? Or protecting herself? That's what's wrong with society people like that. They care more about appearances than actual substance. However, I can promise you the protection of the Doumyouji family. I have more influence over Tsukasa than Nishikado does."

"No, I have already dragged you and Ichiro into all this. Besides, I think that no one has any real influence over your husband. He only allows you to do as you please because it makes you happy."

"I did promise him I would make him happy, but the opposite happened. He has made me very happy. I want that for you, too, Yuuki."

"I was happy before when my husband was alive. If Aki were here, I don't know what he'd do or say. But I feel that he's with me. He's always with me. If there is one thing I learned from him, it's that happiness is what you make of it. He taught me how to be happy."

"Nishikado really has never been happy," said Tsukushi. "I've known him longer than you have and that's one thing I've seen. Did I tell you on the day that Hiroyuki was born that he brought me probably the largest bouquet of flowers? He said that he was happy that we were so happy."

"You think that I should let him meet Shun?"

"It's your choice. If it were me, I would. As a parent, you have to give everything your child needs. He needs to know where he comes from."

Yuuki felt her eyes tear up. "I don't want to lose him. He's everything to me. He's my whole world. Before he was born, I didn't even know what I was or who I was. He's my life."

"That's too much to put on a child," said Tsukushi. "You're not going to lose him. He loves you too much to choose anyone else over you. That won't happen for a couple more years anyway. You're too worried about that. I've seen him with you. You have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you," said Yuuki.

* * *

Soujiro didn't tell Shouichiro was going to do, but he left his older brother with an ominous feeling. Soujiro was jealous of Shouichiro. Yuuki called him Ichiro. It was just another thing that irritated him. Not that he really had a claim over Yuuki. Shun didn't exactly count as a claim. He waited for his mother to return. During that time, he needed some kind of confirmation to confront her with.

He had the accountants do a little forensic accounting for him. They had to find out how his mother took out so much money without anyone noticing. He also wanted to know if his father knew anything. By the time, his mother came home, he was ready.

His mother barely settled in before Soujiro walked into her wing of the house. She had a separate wing so that they could avoid each other. "Okaasan, I need to talk to you about something."

"Soujiro, what is it?" she asked.

"I need you to talk to me honestly about something."

"What is this about?"

"Did you bribe Matsuoka Yuuki with twenty-six million yen about eight years ago?"

If his mother was surprised by his question, she didn't show it. "I have no idea who you're talking about, Soujiro. Now please just let me have some rest. Your father has been very tiring."

"No," said Soujiro. He folded his arms over his chest. "You know using the miscellaneous accounts was a rather brilliant idea. It took some digging, but the accountants eventually found the trail that led back to Yuuki."

His mother was no longer calm or meek looking. "I did what was necessary for this family. She could have ruined you and rest of our family."

"You bribed her to get rid of your own grandson?"

His mother obviously had no idea that she had a grandson. "You were eighteen years old. You're just like your father, even now!" she snapped.

Soujiro reeled back a bit. His mother went on, "What? You think I didn't know about what you do? All the women? We got the hotel and restaurant bills for your escapades. I've had to clean up after you. Women coming with pregnancy scares. I was able to disprove most of them. I suppose I should count us fortunate that only one real pregnancy resulted from your philandering."

Soujiro was just planned stunned by this revelation. "Did you tell her all this?" he demanded.

"Yes. I did. But I didn't tell her to do anything. I gave her the money and told her to do whatever she wanted. Let me guess, she came back and asked for more?"

"No, but she won't let me see my own son!" exclaimed Soujiro. "I have to watch from far away like some stalker."

"I did what it had to be done. You would have made them miserable."

"Just like Otousan?" asked Soujiro. "I am a better man than him. You had a choice to leave him. You should have just done that. You made yourself miserable, not Otousan. You didn't have to stay. Aniki was right all along. You had to let him leave because he was proving your life was a fraud."

"Don't drag your brother into this or that young woman and her child. You should have just gotten married. You're still young and you can have a real family of your own."

Soujiro turned around and said without looking at his mother, "She can handle it. She's not like you. Go back to Kyoto and never come back here."

* * *

AN: This is one of the most important chapters in the entire story. Yuuki didn't have time to be practical about taking the money considering the circumstances surrounding it. Anyway, thanks for the reviews as always.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	17. Part Seventeen: White Puerh

The Tea Prince

Part Seventeen: White Puerh

A few days quietly passed without contact from Soujiro, but it didn't ease the tension that Yuuki felt. Ichiro called to apologize and Yuuki forgave him. She found it easy to forgive him. Amidst all of the worry about the situation with Soujiro and the hectic schedule at the studio, Shun had neglected to tell his mother about the upcoming school play. Rather he had forgotten to tell her until his teacher asked about his costume over the phone.

"No, he didn't tell me, Sara-san," said Yuuki.

"I thought you know. I should have sent a note home, but he said he'd tell you."

"It's all right. What day is it?"

"Friday night."

"That's three days from now."

"I'm so sorry," said Sara.

"No, it's not your fault. I have to talk to Shun. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

Yuuki dropped the phone into the receiver. She got up from her chair and went to go hunt down her seven year old. "Shun!" she called. She found him the courtyard. He had folded a menagerie of origami animals. "Shun, why didn't you tell me that your class was having a play and that you have a part in it?"

He looked at her with those big brown eyes. "Oh, yeah! We're having a play. I need a costume, Mama, by Friday."

"Yes, I know," said Yuuki with some annoyance as she folded her arms over her chest. "Your teacher told me."

"I'm playing the wolf."

"I gathered that. Come on, I have to measure you," said Yuuki.

"I get to sneak on stage like this," said Shun as he tiptoed after his mother. Ishida was laughing from the window.

It took almost a half an hour to measure Shun properly. He was fidgety and ticklish. Yuuki knew that it was only natural that he would grow, but she hadn't been prepared to see by how much. That moment of amusement was broken by the arrival of an elegantly dressed gentleman. "Pardon is Kinomoto Yuuki in?" he asked Lee at the door.

Yuuki had a bad feeling the moment she and Shun left her office to meet him. Shun looked at the man with curiosity. The man said, "May I speak with you in private, Kinomoto-san?" He barely looked at Shun.

"Certainly," said Yuuki nodding. She said to Shun, "Go with Lee-san. Ishida-san, no interruptions, please."

Yuuki led the man to her office. She didn't know his name, but she had met him once before. "Did Nishikado-san send you?" she demanded. "I do have the money like I said. I just have to pull it out, but not right now."

"No, I was told to bring you and your child to Kyoto tonight by helicopter. I was ordered to by my master."

Yuuki knew who the master was. "I am afraid that I must decline your master's request," she refused. "Please get out."

"He did not tell his son about this. Please my master would like to see you both. He will explain everything to you."

"No. Get out or I will call the police," said Yuuki adamantly.

"I understand. Please forgive my intrusion," said the elegant man with a bow.

Yuuki trembled in his wake. She waited until she was sure he was gone before calling Ichiro. He wasn't there, so she called Tsukushi instead.

"What's wrong?" asked Tsukushi. "Did Nishikado-san do something?"

Yuuki answered, "No, not him. His father sent someone here. He's asking for a meeting, but he left without trying too hard. I'm frightened. What will they do to us?"

"No one has seen Nishikado-san's father for over a year. He hasn't ceremonies or meetings. He's been in Kyoto for almost as long. As far as I know, he's refused to see guests."

"So you think it's strange that he would all of a sudden want visitors?"

"Nishikado-san hasn't been talking to Tsukasa, Akira, or Rui. I don't think he's planning on leaving you and Shun alone."

A knock came from the door. Yuuki said to Tsukushi, "I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"I wanted to let you know. I've started to draft some paperwork in case we had to go back to court. I'll wrap them up in red tape for you, if I have to."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Bye."

Yuuki walked up to the door and opened it. To her surprise, Shun was standing there in a kimono. He looked even more like a miniature version of Nishikado Soujiro. "Where did you get that kimono?" she demanded.

"The man who came by gave it to me. Ishida-san told me to try it on and show you. She said I was cute." He looked at her and waved his arms. "There's one for you, too. Ishida-san hasn't opened the box."

"Is there anything else?"

Shun nodded. "A big stuffed panda. It's from Ojiisan." He was rather excited. "Ojiisan sent it from Kyoto."

Yuuki knew that Shun was confused. He thought Aki's father had sent along the gifts. Aki's father was cordial, but not overly affectionate when it came to Shun. Aki's parents hadn't contacted them since Aki had died. She didn't correct Shun. He was just so happy. She followed him out of the office.

Ishida said, "Here is some of the things that the man dropped off."

Shun went straight for the panda. He didn't care that it had a red ribbon around its neck. "Do I have to send a thank you note?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Yuuki. There were two boxes. One held a kimono and the other was wrapped in special washi paper. She unwrapped that. It was a ceremonial tea set. Shun was hugging the panda looked at it. Also automatically, he reached for the brush used to froth the tea in the ceremony, but Yuuki stopped him, "Don't touch that. It's not a toy."

"What is it?" asked Shun, withdrawing his hand.

"It's for the tea ceremony," said Ishida. "That's very expensive."

"Mama, open that one," urged Shun.

Yuuki sighed and opened it. Sure enough it was a kimono. It was a very beautiful one. It was mauve with golden thread weaving through it. It was subdued and radiant at the same time. Ishida gasped at it, "That must be worth at least one hundred thousand yen."

Shun reached out and touched the silk. "Pretty."

"You want your mama to put it on?" suggested Ishida.

Shun eagerly nodded his head. "Please Mama?" he said.

"You can't put on a lady's kimono without help. A boy's is easier," said Yuuki.

"But Ojiisan sent it," insisted Shun with a pout. He squeezed the panda tighter. Yuuki had a feeling that she was going to have a very hard time prying that stuffed animal from Shun later.

The front door opened. Ichiro came in and saw them. Shun ran to Ichiro. "Look what my Ojiisan sent me," he declared.

"Why are you wearing a kimono, Shun-kun?" asked Ichiro, sounding bewildered. He had gotten Yuuki's message and rushed over. Ishida gawked at him because this was the first time that Ichiro had ever come into the studio. "Did he send you this?"

Shun nodded, "And Ojiisan gave Mama a tea ceremony sent and a pretty kimono. She said that she can't put it on herself. Ojisan, make her wear it."

"Hello," greeted Ichiro, taking notice of Ishida. "I'm Shun's uncle. Please just call me Shouichiro."

Ishida was awestruck by the handsome doctor. She could see the family resemblance. "Nice to meet you," she said as she bowed repeatedly.

"Ishida, please take Shun to the courtyard. There are still origami animals out there. Thank you," said Yuuki. Shun pouted again. A stern look from his mother was enough to get him outside. She asked Ichiro, "Do you Nishikado men have that affect on all women?"

"We do. You know we do. Although, Shun uses it sparingly. You're immune to it anyway."

"Yes, almost twenty-four hours of child birth and many things after that have help build up my resistance."

"Your father wants to meet me and Shun now. That man wanted us to helicopter over there tonight. And what's with the gifts? It's just more blood money."

Ichiro was looking at the tea set. "Something's not right," he murmured. "I know my father. He wouldn't send presents like this. He knew you'd say no. Yet, he only sent one man to get you to come. Not an army of SPs to do it." He pulled a card that was along the edge of the box. It was sealed with the Nishikado crest. He handed it to Yuuki.

Yuuki broke the seal. "Your father wrote a note," she said, handing it back to Ichiro.

He read it out loud: "Please accept these gifts. I hope that Shun-kun enjoys the toy. I am out of practice in selecting gifts for children. You may do as you wish with these gifts, but please save the tea ceremony set for later."

"Does that sound at all like your father?" asked Yuuki.

"No," answered Ichiro. "But this is his handwriting. Something isn't right here."

There was an odd thing in the letter. Nishikado-sama used the word "please" twice. The first time was more formal, but the second time it was less formal.

"Shun has a school play coming up. It's on Friday. I have to make a wolf costume for him," said Yuuki, changing the subject.

"Please go and see my father," whispered Ichiro. "I haven't asked much for you, but I'm asking now. I have a bad feeling."

"I don't want to," said Yuuki, shaking her head.

Shun had snuck in while they were talking. He had rarely seen his uncle upset. "Who's papa is Ojiisan?" he asked. "My classmates have more than one grandfather and grandmother. It's not fair. I should have more than that."

"Shun, go back to the courtyard," ordered Yuuki.

"No," said Shun. This time a stern look won't work on him. "You always send me away when you're talking about me! First, Papa dies and now I can't even see Ojiisan!" His voice was angry and his words cut through Yuuki like daggers. He clutched the panda to his chest. A single tear slid down his cheek.

Ichiro crouched down to his nephew. He brushed the tear away and scooped him up. "If your mother won't take you, then I will," he promised. He said to Yuuki, "If he goes with me, then you won't have any say in what happens." He kissed Shun's forehead and set him back down. Shun went to his mother. Ichiro added, "I suggest he keeps the kimono on. He looks good in it."

"What about Mama?" asked Shun. "Ojiisan got her one, too."

Ichiro wisely replied, "Never tell a woman like your mother what to wear."

"My mama is the most beautiful mama around," boasted Shun. "I know because of how my classmates' papas look at her and how their mamas look at their papas when they do look at her."

Yuuki groaned as her cheeks turned red. Ichiro laughed so hard he nearly fell over. Shun let go of the panda with one arm and nuzzled against his mother. He was getting older, but he still liked being with her. Yuuki didn't have to worry about what his grandfather would do. "We'll go to Kyoto tonight," she said. "Are you going to join us, Ichiro?"

"I would, but I have a shift at the hospital. I'm helping in the emergency room for one of my colleagues," said Ichiro. "We're really short handed at that hospital, so even though I'm normally in pediatrics, they still need me there."

"If he calls, let him know where we went," said Yuuki. "I don't know what he'll do, but Shun needs to see his grandfather. I will have my phone off, but I'll let you know what happens when we get back.

* * *

AN: There is no mention of Nishikado's parents' names in the manga, so it limits what I can really do. Not that it matters. Yuuki is about to face off with yet another member of the family. It will be unlike what she expects it to be. There is a reason why this chapter has gone up so fast. I've been working on another fanfic but for another fandom, so that can't go up until this one is done.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	18. Part Eighteen: Mugwort

The Tea Prince

Part Eighteen: Mugwort

This was the first time that Shun had ever been on a helicopter ride. The pilot had been kind enough to explain the controls to him. Shun thought how wonderful it was that his grandfather had a helicopter. His mother was so serious that it bothered him. She hadn't smiled at all. She didn't even put on the kimono that Ojiisan had sent her. She got grimmer as they got closer to Kyoto.

Yuuki had a sense of foreboding as the helicopter landed on the pad of the Nishikado Compound. Shun's excitement dampened as he looked anxiously at his mother. Yuuki rubbed his back to reassure him. There was an army of servants that had gathered to meet them. The door was opened by one of them and he had attempted to help Shun out. Shun whimpered at the idea of a stranger touching him. The servant pulled back. Shun jumped out on his own. Yuuki gracefully followed.

The servants bowed in unison. The elegant gentleman from before said to Yuuki," My master would like to speak to you first privately, Kinomoto-san. I will watch the young master for you while you are with the master."

"I want to stay with Mama," protested Shun. He had the panda with him. "This place is scary."

Yuuki said to her son," Your grandfather and I need to talk. He gave you the panda so you wouldn't be scared."

"Come, we have some sweets for you, child," said the elegant man.

"What kind of sweets?" asked Shun.

"Some dango with some tea," replied the servant.

"Go now," said Yuuki gently as she kissed his forehead. Shun nodded and left after taking one glance at her. Yuuki followed another servant in the opposite direction. She couldn't enjoy the lush surroundings as she was led to a small structure that stood in the middle of the rock garden.

The servant opened the sliding screen and bowed. Yuuki took a deep breath before she met the Tea Master face to face.

He was dressed in a fine kimono. His face was devoid of any emotion as Yuuki heard the door slid close behind her. He was handsome just like his sons. Yuuki could only see a bit of Shun in him. They regarded each other silently for a tense moment. Yuuki bowed.

"Thank you for coming, Kinomoto-san," he told her. His voice was surprisingly gentle.

"I am only here because my son wanted it," said Yuuki.

At this, Nishikado-sama broke into a faint smile. He then asked an unexpected question, "Do you have any regrets?"

"I don't think there is anyone who hasn't. But if you're wondering, no, I don't regret having my son."

"I have many regrets, too many to count and too little time to do anything about it."

Yuuki could see the pained expression on his face. His cheeks were hollow and his eyes were deep set. Clearly, he was not a well man. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"I have lung cancer. It is terminal. I'm dying," said Nishikado-sama.

Yuuki's eyes widened. Nishikado-sama continued, "My wife and I knew about your son. I let her handle the situation before. It was a very evil and selfish thing to do. You were a brave woman for deciding to raise him. I don't have any other grandchildren. Please allow me to atone for all the wrong I have done you. For all the wrong that my family has done."

"Your entire family hasn't done me wrong. I think I did more harm to your son than he did to me. You're dying that's why you're trying to do good now. What would you do if you were in my place?" asked Yuuki in a whisper. "Tell me honestly."

"I would refuse," said Nishikado-sama. "But you are a woman who is contrary by nature. Grant a dying man's wish. Let me see my grandson."

"My friend said that you had withdrawn from public yet no one knows why. Your children don't even know do they? I'm a stranger to you and you put me in this position. Why tell me when you won't tell them?"

"Because you have what I want. Please."

After eight years, Yuuki finally had control over the Nishikado family. She had the power to deny the Tea Master's request. He had no fight in him. It was unfair. "I do want I do for my son. Everything I have, I gave for him," said Yuuki. "Beyond that I am raising him to be a good man and a good human being. I would be a bad mother to refuse your request."

Nishikado-sama stood up and bowed to her. The servant opened the door and together they walked to the drawing room. When they got there, Nishikado-sama placed his hand on her shoulder. He stood at the doorway watching Shun who played with the dango that had been shaped into animals by the chef. Next to him, the panda leaned against him. He picked up one of the mouse shaped dango and dipped it into the tea before biting into it.

Watching Nishikado-sama, Yuuki could see the tension, fear, and pain leave his face. His hand came over his chest. Yuuki had seen that expression before. Soujiro had it on his face on the rooftop on that building in Tokyo. Shun turned and finally noticed them. He smiled at them as he stood up.

Nishikado-sama knelt down as Shun walked up to him. "Hello, I'm Shun," he greeted as he bowed. "Nice to meet you. Are you my grandfather?"

"Yes, yes I am," replied Nishikado-sama. He reached out and touched Shun's face. Shun didn't flinch. His grandfather took his hands. "You look just like your father," he whispered.

"Thank you for the kimono and Ten," said Shun.

"Ten?"

"The panda you sent me."

Nishikado-sama really smiled this time. "Oh that. Yes, my assistants brought in several for me to choose from. I'm pleased you like it."

"Thank you for the gifts," said Yuki.

"Mere trifles," said Nishikado-sama without taking his eyes off Shun. "It is the job of a grandfather to indulge his grandchild. Tell me what games do you enjoy, Shun-kun?" He straightened up, holding Shun's hand. Yuuki could see a fleetingly faint pain expression.

"I like puzzles and Legos," answered Shun. "I like to take pictures, but Mama won't let me bring my camera to school."

"You should listen to your mother," said Nishikado-sama.

They stayed a while. It was decided that they would spend the night. Yuuki wondered if Soujiro's mother was there. She was, but she had stayed out of the way. To her, Yuuki was just another woman who had made her husband and wasn't her. This time she was not angry. She had seen her husband walking with their grandson. Even she didn't want to take away the peace her husband had.

* * *

When Soujiro's security detail reported that Yuuki and Shun had left Tokyo so suddenly, he was so concerned that he tried to call her. When she didn't answer, he attempted to call his brother but Shouichiro was on duty at the hospital. Finally, he called Tsukushi who was having problems of her own.

"I'm so glad you called," said Tsukushi on the other end.

Soujiro raised his eyebrow, even though she couldn't see them. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Tsukasa's parents here. He didn't even tell me," answered Tsukushi, sounding annoyed.

"Are you hiding from them?"

"What do you think? His mother still doesn't like me and his father brought enough presents to open a toy store."

"How's Tsukasa taking it?"

"He's actually stuck dealing with them. His father won't let his mother hold the baby."

Normally Soujiro would have laughed, but he was too preoccupied. He asked, "Where's Yuuki? I heard that they didn't go home and they went to the airport."

"She did it," said Tsukushi. "And I thought I was having a bad day."

"Where did she go? Where did she take Shun? Answer me, Tsukushi."

"She went to your family's house in Kyoto. Your father asked her to see him," replied Tsukushi bracingly. "I didn't tell her not to go one way or another."

"What?!" demanded Soujiro. "You should have told her not to! What kind of lawyer are you?! Why am I the last person to know?!"

"I thought she told you. It's not my place to report every more she makes. Besides, she'd do whatever she wanted to do anyway. Other than Shun, that's what you two have in common."

"I have to go," said Soujiro hung up and picked up the phone. He ordered his assistant. "Get my copter ready. I'm going to the Kyoto Compound tonight."

Soujiro knew that his timing was completely off. Traffic was horrendous during that time and Yuki had had hours ahead of him. She was out of her mind, taking their son to see his father. He tried to call repeatedly while he was stuck in traffic. When she didn't pick up, he called the house. The servants gave him the run around, completely forgetting that he was their next master.

It wasn't until he was in the air did he start to feel some relief. When the helicopter touched down on the pad, Soujiro got out without delay. One of the servants gawked at him. "Where is my father?" he asked using a tone that could only be described as deadly.

"He is resting, Soujiro-sama," answered the frightened servant.

"What about my son and his mother?"

"The lady and her child are in the north wing."

Soujiro stalked off to go and find them. Most of the servants bowed to him and hastily made for the exits. He found Yuuki first. She had cloth rolled out on the table. She was cutting a pattern out of it. "Yuuki, what are you doing here?" he asked her, walking into the room.

She turned sheet white at the sight of him. "Nishikado-san, what are you doing here?" she managed to ask. She had her hand on a very sharp pair of scissors.

"What did he do to you?" he asked. "Where is Shun?"

"Who told you we were here?"

"ANSWER ME!"

Soujiro's voice echoed. Yuuki had never seen Shun or Ichiro that angry before. She rose to her feet. She squared her shoulders a bit, ready to answer. "No one talks to my mama that way!" shouted Shun, who had just been in the other room connected to the one they were in. He dashed to his mother, standing between them. "Go away!"

* * *

AN: Shun is uber cute. Yes, I am trying to finish up this story as I start another one. I really don't like to run two stories at the same time as a general rule.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	19. Part Nineteen: Assam

The Tea Prince

Part Nineteen: Assam

"Shun stop," said his mother, grabbing his shoulders, pulling him closer to her.

This was not the way that Soujiro had envisioned meeting his son. Shun glared at him as Yuuki wrapped her arms around him. Right now, Soujiro had to admire him for standing up for his mother. It was something that he had never done.

"I'm sorry," said Soujiro, addressing Shun. He knelt down at the small ball of fury who was giving him quite possibly the cutest death glared he had ever seen. "I shouldn't have shouted that was uncalled for." He stood up straight and looked at Yuuki. "I was upset. I didn't mean to shout. Did he do anything to you?"

"No," said Yuuki. "He just wanted to meet his grandson. I wasn't even going to go, but your brother and Shun overruled me."

"Who is he, Mama?" asked Shun, dropping his death glare because it wasn't working. "He looks like Ojisan and Ojiisan."

"You, too," said Yuuki. "We need to talk, Shun."

"So I get to talk to you this time alone and he gets to go and wait?"

"Yes," said Soujiro.

"I wasn't talking to you," snapped Shun.

Yuuki chided him. "Shun, that was rude. Come on."

"I'm sorry, Mama," said Shun.

Yuuki steered him to the adjoining room. Soujiro pulled out a chair and sat down. He chuckled at the idea of being put in his place by his own son at such a young age. There might be hope for the Nishikado family yet.

Yuuki had thought about this. She still wasn't sure how Shun was going to take it, but she remembered discussing it with Aki. They were going to tell Shun together when he was older. "Shun, you are a very lucky child. You have a lot of people who love you very much."

"Yes, I know," nodded Shun.

"Before you could remember, it was just you and me. Then your papa came and we became a family. He was the most wonderful man in the world. He loved us so much that he wanted to make us happy."

Shun shifted a bit, not looking his mother in the eye. He said, "Papa was my real papa. He told me that he wasn't my Otousan though. One day we were looking at picture album and he wasn't in any of the pictures. Papa said that it takes more than blood to make a family. He said he was proud that you chose him to be my papa."

Yuuki closed her eyes. Shun begged her, "Don't cry, Mama. Papa said that I shouldn't make you cry. It's okay. He told me that I had an Otousan, too, but he wasn't ready yet to take care of us."

Kinomoto Akihito was the rarest of people. He was an angel who had promised Yuuki that he would watch over them. Yuuki's nightmares had been plagued with the thought of Aki's final moments. She knew now that he must have thought about his family. He had often said that he would anything for them. "I'm all right," said Yuuki, deeply inhaling. "Your papa did a good job explaining it to you."

"Who is that man?" asked Shun again.

"He is the brother of your Ojisan and the son of your Ojiisan," answered Yuuki.

"What should I call him?"

"He'll tell you."

Soujiro waited for them, but as he waited his father had gotten word that he was there. "Soujiro," he said as he walked in.

"Otousan." He got to his feet immediately. He turned around, but was he was shocked by his father's apparence. "Are you all right?"

"No," replied his father truthfully. "But I haven't felt this good in ages. That child is quite extraordinary. He takes after his mother."

Shun and Yuuki came in. Shun walked up to the two men. Three generations of the Nishikado family stood in her midst. Soujiro's father reached over to Shun and ruffled his hair. Shun giggled and nuzzled him. "What will you do, Otousan?" asked Soujiro.

"Enjoy whatever time I have left," his father answered. "I think we can discuss this more later. You must be tired Soujiro. I will borrow my grandson for a bit."

"It's a school night," said Yuuki. "And your grandfather needs his rest, so come back here by nine, Shun."

"Yes, Mama," said Shun. He turned to leave with Soujiro's father, but he stopped to give a stern warning to Soujiro. "You'd better not make my mama cry. I won't like it."

"Come along, Shun-kun," said his grandfather with mild amusement. Shun gave Soujiro one more look before his grandfather took him out of the room.

"Did I just get threatened by my own seven year old?" asked Soujiro.

Yuuki nodded and smiled. "Sorry, but that's the way he is."

"I don't think I've ever seen my father like that," said Soujiro. "He looks ill."

"That's because he is," said Yuuki. "You need to talk to him yourself. I don't want to be the one to tell you what's wrong. It's something you should hear from him directly."

Soujiro could see that Yuuki was serious. "So what are you doing here? Doing some high fashion for a client of yours?"

"No," replied Yuuki. "It's for Shun's school play. He's playing the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. He forgot to tell me two weeks ago, but the play is on Friday." She went back to the cloth. "I really should get this done soon. I just wanted to make sure that it was cut. I was going to start doing the sewing on it."

"My parents would have just bought me the costume," said Soujiro. "Then again, my mother never really sewed."

There was an awkward pause. Soujiro was confronted with a situation that he had rarely come across. He didn't know how to talk to her. She was strikingly beautiful. He never noticed that before as she sat down and started to cut the cloth. "Measure twice, cut once," she said. "I had a hard time measuring Shun. He wouldn't stop moving. He's been like that before he was born. He used to kick around so much that I couldn't sleep at night, yet during the day he was hardly stirring. I knew it didn't bode well for me. Sure enough, he would only sleep during the day and stay awake all night. Ichiro kept promising that I wasn't the only one with a nocturnal baby in Kyoto."

"I'm sorry," said Soujiro. "He must have been a handful. He looks like he is."

"You should get something to eat," said Yuuki. "It must have been a lot of trouble for you to get here. I'll have to call Shun's teacher and check to see if he has any assignments. I don't know if we'll make it back before the play on Friday."

"You should get a sewing machine," said Soujiro. "I can get one for you, so you can finish faster."

Yuuki put down the cloth. "We should really think about this a bit more. I came here for Shun and your father as well as Ichiro. I don't really know what will happen next."

"You don't have to worry about us taking him from you. You don't have to worry about me replacing Kinomoto-san in yours or his eyes. If anything, it would be impossible for me to reach his level. I'm only asking for a chance."

"I have had a long time to think about it. About life and about death. Aki wouldn't want me to be sad about him being gone. He would have wanted us to laugh and remember all the fun we had. Your father doesn't seem like a bad man. He just seems like you."

"How?"

"Like he knows he's missing something."

"What's wrong with him, Yuuki?" asked Soujiro.

"He didn't make me not promise to tell you or Ichiro, but I think it's not my place to tell you. He should tell you," replied Yuuki. "I'll have to put Shun to bed, so you can talk then."

"He's dying, isn't he?" whispered Soujiro. He sighed. "I should have known. All the time he spent away and when he sent for my mother."

"At least you'd get the chance to say goodbye," said Yuuki. "I would have given almost anything to do that."

Soujiro glanced at her, but Yuuki was concentrating on the cloth. He thought about how right it seemed that they were talking like two adults. He didn't want his son to ever think that he didn't care about his mother. "Life is filled with once in a lifetime moments, but most of the time it's those second chances that matter more. It's that second chance that you want to set things right," he told her.

"You don't have to do anything to set things right," said Yuuki as she looked at him. "I stopped being mad at you a long time ago. I couldn't hate you because I'd have to hate Shun."

"I know. I also pulled your bank records. Shun's got a bank account with a lot of money in it," said Soujiro. "You put most of that money for him, didn't you?"

"Yes," replied Yuuki. "Just in case, but I had to deduct some of it for the medical bills."

"You should have called me. I would have been there," said Soujiro. "I would have been there no matter what. I would have given up everything for you."

"You mean for Shun."

"No. For you, Yuuki."

"What happens next?"

"That's up to you. You're the one who has the power. You're his mother. He follows you."

It was nine and Shun returned with his grandfather. He looked rather tired, but happy. "Ojiisan showed me how to stir tea," he told his mother.

"So that's what you did?" asked Yuuki. "Did you like it?"

"It was okay, but my hands are too small," said Shun. "And the tea was bitter. Ojiisan won't let me put in any honey, sugar, milk or anything."

Soujiro groaned, and then asked his father, "Did he just say that to you?"

His father smiled and nodded, "You will learn to get use to it. It is the experience not the taste that matters."

"It's time for bed," announced Yuuki.

"Aw," said Shun.

Yuuki ignored his weak protest. "Say good night to your grandfather," she paused," and Nishikado-san."

"Good night, Shun-kun," said his grandfather. "You should call him by what I said you should call him."

Soujiro wondered what his father and told Shun. "Oh," said Shun. He went to Soujiro still rather shy and a bit suspicious, he said, "Good night, 'Tousan."

"Let's get you ready for bed," said Yuuki, taking Shun's hand. They left the room.

"Otousan, sit down," said Soujiro worriedly. They went to a nearby sofa that was for more comfortable than the chairs at the table.

His father had a hard time breathing. Then he regained control. "It started out as a cough," he said. "I went to the Mayo Clinic in the US. I have lung cancer."

Soujiro swallowed hard. "What about treatments, Otousan?"

"It's spreading. I was lucky last year. I was told I only had six months, but I'm still here. For a long time I wondered why, but I realize it was Kami-sama's way of giving me a chance to set things right. Not just for Shun and his mother, but for everything."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Soujiro.

"I was going to. You have always been my pillar. I was already asking so much from you. You've had to shoulder everything since Shouichiro left. He is a brilliant doctor. He was meant to go away and save Shun's life. That child is the future of this family. I am the past. You are the present."

Soujiro said, "I want to give him the chance to decide his own fate."

"I'm sure you'll make the right choice. You won't have me around to badger you about it. In regards to his mother, I must say she is proof that you have good taste."

"Shun told you all about Shouichiro, didn't he?"

"I asked him. I suggest you do something before someone snatches her away from you completely."

"Someone already did. He's about high and glares at me," said Soujiro, showing Shun's height with his hand.

"I am so sorry," said his father. "I believe that my actions in the past have caused all kind of this. Everyone else has had to pay for it. You and your mother most of all."

"Are you saying all this because you're dying?" asked Soujiro. "Do you honestly think that it's enough for me not to be mad at you for a lifetime of Hell?"

"That was why I did not ask for your forgiveness. I know that I don't deserve it."

Soujiro felt pity for his father. He saw a desperate man. "Let Shouichiro back into the family and I'll think about it," said Soujiro. After all, he owed his brother Shun's life. He sighed," You need to rest and I have to eat something. We'll talk again tomorrow."

They left the room and one of the servants escorted Nishikado-sama back to his quarters. Soujiro wasn't lying when he said he was hungry, but he went to go see Yuuki and Shun instead. He came just as Shun drifted off. He saw the stuffed panda next him.

Yuuki kissed Shun's cheek. She saw Soujiro and they locked eyes for a moment. The room was one of the guest rooms in a traditional style with a futon and a tatami mat. The pillow was a comfortable Western one. Shun looked small and harmless. Yuuki got up and they tiptoed out. She slid the door closed.

"I know you've already eaten, but would you mind joining me?" Soujiro asked her.

"No, I wouldn't mind," replied Yuuki. "I could use some tea." She added with a smile, "But no ceremony please."

Soujiro grinned. "I think you might be the first woman who has ever refused to have a tea ceremony around here."

"I don't need someone to take care of me. I can take care of myself, Nishikado-san."

"I didn't say that. And you should just call me, Soujiro. There's no point in us being formal."

"Ichiro had said the something to me before."

"I'm jealous of him and Shun. They're closer to you than me."

"You're jealous of your own son and brother?"

"Yes," admitted Soujiro shamelessly. "Why shouldn't I be?"

"Because I thought you were more mature than that. I'm going to tell you not to be. For right now, I'd rather just focus on Shun, if they're all right with you."

"You're right." It took years for Soujiro to figure out what he wanted. He didn't want to be like his father. "You did an excellent job with you. You and Aki did. Thank you both."

"It's too early to say that. Tell me again in a couple of years."

"What about what I should do with him? How will I fit in?"

"One step at a time," said Yuuki as she took Soujiro's arm. "One step at a time."

* * *

AN: Anyone who expects them to be all kissing and whatnot at this point is sadly mistaken. Realistically, Aki is never really far from Yuuki's or Shun's thoughts. It's only been a few months since Aki had passed away. What kind of woman would she be if she forgot her husband so easily? Anyway, it took a while before I got to the stats to figure out if I wanted to upload or not. The login was done and I couldn't upload. Things are almost done.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


	20. Part Twenty: Gyokuro

The Tea Prince

Part Twenty: Gyokuro

One step at the time was what Yuuki had told Soujiro. She wasn't kidding, and she was absolutely right. Almost a year had come and gone since the untimely death of Kinomoto Akihito. Soujiro had a very hard time over the next couple of months as his father's health deteriorated. It didn't seem as hard because he had the support.

Shouichiro was allowed back into the family, which was something their mother needed. All in due time she was introduced to her grandson, whom she showered attention to. Shun was a fortunate child indeed because Yuuki had opened up and allowed her family to meet him.

Then, about six months after meeting his grandson for the first time, Nishikado-sama passed away in his sleep by then it was a blessing because his eldest son was tending to him. Soujiro leaned on Yuuki during that time, talking to her into the wee hours of the morning either in person or on the phone. Shun was everyone's primary concern, but he said that it was a relief that his grandfather was no longer in pain.

On Shun's eighth birthday, everyone had gathered for it in Kyoto. That was the last function that Nishikado-sama had ever attended. It was there that Shun was given his rightful place as heir. It took some legal wrangling, but Shun had excellent legal representation. No one wanted to go against Nihsikado-sama. Shun was shielded from the press as much as possible.

Yuuki's studio was booming. Her new line was selling internationally and Tokyo Fashion Week was a rousing success. No one could accuse her of being a gold digger because she was making more than enough money to support herself, her son, and her employees. It also helped when Tsukushi wore Yuuki's creation to the Tokyo Charity Bell. It also helped even more when Tsukasa wore a suit made from bamboo fiber with silver woven into it, to keep his body cool, during his annual summer pilgrimage to New York City.

Soujiro and Yuuki spent more time with Tsukasa and Tsukushi than they did with other friends. Currently, they and everyone else were gathered at the Doumyouji Mansion for a very special occasion. It was Hiroyuki's first birthday.

It was a relaxed affair with a very limited guest list of family and very close friends. It was for the best because Tsukasa was doing a rather curious thing that people outside of the guest list would never believe even if they did see it. The head of the Doumyouji Corporation was on the floor of the main drawing room assembling a toy that Rui had brought for Hiroyuki.

"Damn you, Rui!" swore Tsukasa. He said this repeatedly after twenty minutes of bring unable to make heads or tails of the German instructions.

Tsukushi had appeared, having checked on the other arrangements, saying to her husband, "You don't have to be the one to put it together." She gave him a smile.

"It's a child's toy. How hard could it be?" said Tsukasa. "I think Rui brought this evil contraption on purpose."

"No, I didn't," said Rui with the slightest hint of a smile.

Tsukushi sighed, wondering if Tsukasa was just going to destroy the toy before he finished putting it together. "I have an important question." She noticed something, or rather someone, missing.

"What?" demanded Tsukasa tersely.

"Where is the baby?"

Tsukasa lifted his head and looked around momentarily. Tsukushi glared at him as she folded her arms over her chest. Then he answered, "He got bored. He's playing with the box."

Sure enough, behind Tsukushi, the box was seemingly moving on its own. She walked up to it. Hiroyuki popped up from under it, giggling. Rui shook his head as Tsukasa swore under his breath.

Hiroyuki learned to walk early and was looking more and more like his father. He had his curls and at times his temperament. He also had Tsukasa's body structure, making him a little tall for his age. Tsukushi scooped him up into her arms. "Tsukasa, I have another question."

"Yes?"

"Why is he just in his diapers?"

"It's his birthday. He can wear whatever he wants."

Tsukushi sighed as Hiroyuki reached for a lock of her hair. She stopped him in time and tucked it behind her ear. "I'm putting some clothes on him. Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"I'm fine," answered Tsukasa with a dismissive wave. "Just go."

"You know there are instructions in Japanese," pointed out Rui. He was pouring over the scattered contains of the box.

"Let me see those," snapped Tsukasa, grabbing them. "These don't make any sense."

Neither of them had noticed that Shun, who was about the only child there, was putting the toy together without the instructions. "You're reading them wrong," said Shun, drawing attention to himself.

Akira came in with some presents. "What's going on?" he asked, stopping as soon as he saw Tsukasa glaring at Shun, who innocently looked back. "Uh oh," he said, backing out of the room.

"How do you know I'm reading it wrong? I haven't even started," demanded Tsukasa.

"Because you probably are," replied Shun, fully acquainted with Tsukasa's odd habit of saying the wrong thing or reading kanji incorrectly.

Rui averted his head because he was grinning. In fact, a snicker had managed to escape his lips. Tsukasa narrowed his eyes at Shun who didn't even flinch. "Go to your mother," commanded Tsukasa, pointing in the generation direction of where Yuuki was. Shun just blinked at him.

"I don't know why you're so worried, Akira," said Soujiro as he entered the room with Akira. He ceased talking immediately.

"You're doing it wrong," insisted Shun stubbornly as he put the parts into the correct spots. "Anyone knows you can't put a square peg into a round hole—." He was cut off by his father, picking him up and carrying him off from behind. "Hey!"

Soujiro let Shun drop the pieces on the carpet before carrying him out. "I was only helping!" protested Shun.

"I know, but your Ojisan doesn't appreciate it," said Soujiro.

Yuuki saw them. She gave them a quizzical look and grinned because Soujiro looked like a father cat carrying his kitten. He set Shun down after kissing the back of his head.

"What have you been up to?" asked Yuuki.

"Nothing. I was helping put Hiroyuki-kun's toy together, but Otousan took me away," explained Shun as he folded his arms over his chest.

Yuuki giggled at this. Shun was too smart for his own good and at this point Soujiro and Yuuki were trying to keep up with the new and innovative ways he used to cause mischief. He was like a one person F4 noted Akira. Soujiro had found himself on the receiving end of Sara's annoyance on the day that Shun had gone too far. Not that Shun was incapable of behaving, he just didn't want to all the time.

Soujiro did find something other than puzzle games to capture Shun's attention. It was the tea ceremony. So far, he was progressing well. He was still too shy to perform in front of other people he didn't know too well. He had only performed for his mother, father, and uncle so far. Soujiro was proud but he balanced Shun with more than tea and tradition.

The party went as planned. Akira was the one who pointed out to everyone what Shun had done. "I can't believe you were schooled by a seven year old, Tsukasa," he said.

Tsukasa quickly corrected, "He's eight! Eight! I'm not incompetent."

Tsukushi shook her head. "I don't think it matters. Hiroyuki-kun doesn't care." She was referring to the fact that Hiroyuki found the wrapping paper and ribbons far more entertaining than all of the toys that everyone had brought him.

"Gee, wrapping that present was a waste of time," said Yuuki as Tsukasa groaned.

"Um, I don't think you want him to put the ribbons on his hair," added Soujiro.

"Hiroyuki! No!" said Tsukushi loudly as she went up to Hiroyuki who had started putting the ribbons with sticky backs on his head. She picked him up. "What am I going to do with you? With the both of you?" She glanced at her husband. The baby giggled.

"I told you he's weird," said Tsukasa. "My beautiful, weird child."

"Stop saying that!" exclaimed Tsukushi.

"I said he was beautiful," said Tsukasa as he started picking the ribbons off Hiroyuki's head. He did it gently while his son reached out to touch him. When the last ribbon was off, Tsukasa took him into his arms. "Happy Birthday, Hiroyuki," he said.

* * *

Soujiro glanced at Yuuki. He could feel a twinge inside him every time he looked at her. It started somewhat recently when she was too busy with fashion week and had to leave Shun with him for hours on end because the models had scared Shun. They bought Shun was simply adorable and overwhelmed him.

Shun was grateful for the peace and tranquility at his father's house. It was not seeing Yuuki so much that made Soujiro have that twinge. He missed her. It only got worse as they shuttled Shun back and forth between them. Shun back and forth between them. He was looking for any excuse to have her stay just a bit longer, even with other people around. In fact, Soujiro preferred to have other people around when he was with her.

The most distressing thing for Soujiro was that Yuuki didn't seem to notice. Over time though she had began to wear her hair down and letting her natural curls come through. She wore more color now and less eye make up. She didn't just smile and laugh for Shun anymore, but for other people, too. Soujiro didn't see the way she looked at him when he was completely focused on Shun and no one else. To her, that was the man that she could fall in love with.

The party had gone on as planned. After the last slice of cake and the last present was unwrapped (including much to Tsukasa's dismay more toys requiring to be assembled), Soujiro took Yuuki and Shun back to their apartment at a very late hour. He carried Shun who had passed out on the ride back. After settling Shun in bed after getting him to change his clothes and brush his teeth, they went to the living room.

Yuuki yawned and stretched her arms. Soujiro watched her. "I can't remember the last time I was up this late. Probably when Shun was a baby," she told him.

It was so rare to be alone with her. Shun was like a buffer between them. "I should get going," said Soujiro after clearing his throat. He dug his hands into his pockets.

"Why is it whenever it's just the two of us you can't wait to get away from me? You've been doing that lately," said Yuuki. She looked away from him. "But I suppose it's because you already got what you wanted so there is little point than just being polite with each other."

Soujiro raised his eyebrow at this. "That's not true," he said, controlling his voice, not wanting to wake up Shun. It came out a bit harsher than he had intended. "Don't you see? I have to go. Otherwise I'll do something that we may both regret."

"You said that to me once or something like that," said Yuuki. "You want to know something?"

"What?"

"You were wrong. You are both a good man and a good person. You just don't see it."

Soujiro felt his throat closing up again. "I love you," he whispered.

"I know," said Yuuki. She looked straight at him. Her eyes were always so clear and easy to read. "You weren't my first love. I know what love really is after being with Aki. He was my first love."

"I was in love before, but I let it go so carelessly," said Soujiro.

"Is that why you're pushing me away?"

"I can't really, but I don't want you to think that I would be around just for Shun. Although, I promise you I will be here for him. Always."

"Always is a term that I stopped believing in," said Yuuki as she looked at her hands. Recently, she found it easy to take off her rings. First it was the engagement ring, and then it was the wedding ring. She had Aki with her always. She didn't need a ring to remember that. "I went to Aki's grave the other day without Shun. I do all the time. I guess I'm looking for a sign from him. I'm looking for him to say that this is okay. That this is what's best for Shun."

"What about you? What's best for you?"

"You," replied Yuuki, but it hurt her to say it. "But I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what will happen. What could happen."

Soujiro understood perfectly. It was the absolute clarity of hindsight that gave him the ability to do so. "You said that he was your first love. How about I become your last?"

Yuuki pressed her lips together as she tended to do when she was nervous. Somehow, inexplicable, the distance between had closed. Both of them had moved towards the other without realizing it. Soujiro put his hand on Yuuki's cheek. "I feel so cold," she whispered.

"I'll warm you up," said Soujiro as he kissed her gently.

"I don't think that's the kind of warm up I need," said Yuuki, pulling away from him a bit. She didn't pull back too far. "I think we can put that off for a while. Shun is still processing all of it. It's not about just you or me, but him, too. It's about us."

"It's just as well," said Soujiro as he guided her to the sofa. They looked out the large window that overlooked the skyline of Tokyo. For the first time in his entire life, Soujiro felt whole. He held Yuuki as she leaned against him. They fell asleep like that.

Around dawn, Shun awoke and went to go in search of his mother. He found his mother and father on the sofa, fast asleep. He knew that his Otousan loved him as much as his papa did. Sure there were times when his Otousan didn't let him do as much as his papa did. He watched them sleep and took a seat on the coffee table across from them. Soujiro was the first one to awaken to Shun watching them. "Good morning," said Shun softly.

"Good morning," returned Soujiro.

Yuuki stirred and woke up. "Shun? What are you doing up?"

"It's morning, Mama," replied Shun. "Otousan is still here. Why didn't you sleep in a bed?"

Yuuki stretched out her body, feeling a bit flustered. Nothing had happened really beyond a kiss. "Well, I just wanted to stay here," said Soujiro. "We just fell asleep. We were too tired to move after putting you to bed."

Shun looked at them. He was an astute child, sensing something had happened. "What really happened, Otousan?" he asked Soujiro, knowing full well that his father had almost no resistance to his inquires.

"Nothing happened," said Soujiro quickly.

"Did you and Mama have a fight?"

"No."

"Did you and Mama not have a fight?"

"Yes."

"So you and Mama didn't have a fight?"

Soujiro was perplexed. This child really was going to be trouble when he was older. Tsukasa was laughing at him all the time, saying that karma had struck back. "Did you tell Mama you love her to stop a fight?" asked Shun.

"That's exactly what happened," replied Yuuki for Soujiro. "Come on, let's have breakfast. If I have to deal with both of you, I'm going to need my strength."

"What's so wrong with dealing with us?" asked Soujiro as he got up from the sofa, taking Shun's hand. "I thought you love us."

"Love is only the beginning," said Yuuki. "The beginning."

Shun grinned, holding his father's hand tighter. His father leaned in and kissed his mother on the cheek. He was a lucky child indeed. He was the tea prince and it is said that the tea prince is always lucky.

* * *

AN: Twenty chapters were all that I had originally planned. The story actually concludes here because people can come up with what they want to happen. And now on to less sentimental stuff. Thanks for all the reviews from these reviewers:

Jessica, JennyLunaR, Maricris, kyoko ohari, Nadeshiko Amamya, NewSlove, Nadeshiko, Lai, Winsey, Domyouji Love, sheen shan, Angelofgig, lonely-dreamlover, Jenn, Domyouji Love, Nadeshiko Amamya, Suzy, SerenityAlways, ednyadove , yui/alex, mysteriouswriter18, blossom0910, chippyshero, lemur130, ~elle, lady555, LilyAyl, Jen, lillimori, lonely-dreamlover, Tsugi No Mae, 5knockout5, red-jello04, azerjaban, chaos1023, LauraDrazen, LoserLove, karupin_meow, KT, Macjill, Endless ai, Cactus2008, silverquill-87, daydreamer writer, purpleirises, toodlesmynooodles!, latafmodginkianp1618, Hipployta, just a friend, amanda, bosk, Jane, kashuneko, kashuneko, popo, trueblueee, Starr, jessicajj, addie, -chan, prawn cake, and Zusy

Phew that's a long list...okay some writers have longer lists. Thank goodness it wasn't any longer. If I forgot anyone, I'm sorry.

The final tea is the highest grade tea in Japan.

My next story is not going to be in HYD, but elsewhere. Join me in the Harry Potter section for the next story. For more details, I'll be putting up some kind of preview in my journal. If I get around to putting something up.

Disclaimer: Kamio Youko owns Hana Yori Dango. I own this story. Please use this story with my permission.


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